CVE-2026-89641 cifs: clear tcon after cifsFileInfo_put() in cifs_file_set_size()
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel CIFS module allows attackers to cause denial of service or execute code via crafted file size operations.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-89641?
CVE-2026-89641 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 11 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
cifs: clear tcon after cifsFileInfo_put() in cifs_file_set_size()
When the else branch of cifs_file_set_size() finds a writable file handle via find_writable_file(), it borrows tcon and server from the handle's tlink, attempts the handle-based set_file_size() RPC, and then releases the handle with cifsFileInfo_put().
If set_file_size() fails, execution falls through to the path-based fallback, which reuses the borrowed tcon and server under the "if (tcon == NULL)" guard. Since tcon is not NULL at that point, the guard is skipped. If cifsFileInfo_put() dropped the last reference on a tlink that was already removed from the tlink tree (TCON_LINK_IN_TREE cleared, as happens during reconnection or session teardown), cifs_put_tlink() will have freed tcon; the subsequent set_path_size() call is then a use-after-free.
Setting tcon = NULL after cifsFileInfo_put() causes the existing guard to take the cifs_sb_tlink() path, which acquires a fresh reference for the path-based operation or fails cleanly if the session is gone.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-89641?
How do I fix CVE-2026-89641?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-89641 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-89641 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-89641, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89641, GHSA-f4f3-66v7-cmrj, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89641.