# CVE-2026-64142: ksmbd: close durable scavenger races against m_fp_list lookups

> Race conditions in the Linux kernel ksmbd durable scavenger allow use-after-free, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-64142, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64142, GHSA-jcg5-p7gf-vq99, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64142

## What is CVE-2026-64142?

CVE-2026-64142 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ksmbd: close durable scavenger races against m_fp_list lookups

ksmbd_durable_scavenger() has two related races against any walker
that iterates f_ci->m_fp_list, including ksmbd_lookup_fd_inode()
(used by ksmbd_vfs_rename) and the share-mode checks in
fs/smb/server/smb_common.c.

(1) fp->node list-head reuse.  Durable-preserved handles can remain
linked on f_ci->m_fp_list after session teardown so share-mode checks
still see them while the handle is reconnectable.  The scavenger
collected expired handles by adding fp->node to a local
scavenger_list after removing them from the global durable idr.
Because fp->node is the same list_head used by m_fp_list,
list_add(&fp->node, &scavenger_list) overwrites the m_fp_list links
and corrupts both lists.  CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST can report this on the
share-mode walk path.

(2) Refcount race against m_fp_list walkers.  The scavenger qualifies
an expired durable handle with atomic_read(&fp->refcount) > 1 and
fp->conn under global_ft.lock, removes fp from global_ft, then drops
global_ft.lock before unlinking fp from m_fp_list and freeing it.
During that gap fp is still linked on m_fp_list with f_state ==
FP_INITED.  ksmbd_lookup_fd_inode() under m_lock read calls
ksmbd_fp_get() (atomic_inc_not_zero on refcount that is still 1) and
takes a live reference; the scavenger then unlinks and frees fp
while the holder owns a reference, leading to UAF on the holder's
subsequent ksmbd_fd_put() and on any field reads performed by a
concurrent share-mode walker that iterates m_fp_list without taking
ksmbd_fp_get() (smb_check_perm_dleases-like paths).

Fix both:

  * Stop reusing fp->node as a scavenger-private list node.  Remove
    one expired handle from global_ft under global_ft.lock, take an
    explicit transient reference, drop the lock, unlink fp->node
    from m_fp_list under f_ci->m_lock, then drop both the durable
    lifetime and transient references with atomic_sub_and_test(2,
    &fp->refcount).  If the scavenger is the last putter the close
    runs there; otherwise an in-flight holder that already raced
    through the m_fp_list lookup owns the final close via its
    ksmbd_fd_put() path.  The one-at-a-time disposal can rescan the
    durable idr when multiple handles expire in the same pass, but
    durable scavenging is a background expiration path and the final
    full scan recomputes min_timeout before the next wait.

  * Clear fp->persistent_id inside __ksmbd_remove_durable_fd() right
    after idr_remove(), so a delayed final close from a holder that
    snatched fp does not re-issue idr_remove() on a persistent id
    that idr_alloc_cyclic() in ksmbd_open_durable_fd() may have
    already handed out to a brand-new durable handle.

  * Bypass the per-conn open_files_count decrement in
    __put_fd_final() when fp is detached from any session table
    (fp->conn cleared by session_fd_check() at durable preserve --
    paired with the volatile_id clear at unpublish, so checking
    fp->conn alone is sufficient).  The walker that owns the final
    close runs from an unrelated work->conn whose
    stats.open_files_count never tracked this durable fp; without
    this guard the holder would underflow that unrelated counter.

The two races are folded into one patch because patch (1) alone
cleans up the corrupted list but leaves a deterministic UAF window
for m_fp_list walkers that the transient-reference and
persistent_id discipline in (2) close; bisecting onto an
intermediate state would land on a UAF that pre-patch chaos merely
made less reproducible.

Validation:
  * CONFIG_DEBUG_LIST coverage for the list_head reuse path.
  * KASAN-enabled direct SMB2 durable-handle coverage that exercised
    ksmbd_durable_scavenger() and non-NULL ksmbd_lookup_fd_inode()
    returns while durable handles expired under concurrent rename
    lookups, with no KASAN, UAF, list-corruption, ODEBUG, or WARNING
    reports.
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64142?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-64142?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-64142 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-64142 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-64142 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64142/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64142/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-64142
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64142
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-64142

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64142/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
