CVE-2026-89661 NFSD: Prevent post-shutdown use-after-free in unlock_filesystem
A local administrator can trigger a use-after-free in the Linux kernel NFSD module by writing to a proc file after server shutdown, potentially causing a crash or code execution.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-89661?
CVE-2026-89661 is an 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:
NFSD: Prevent post-shutdown use-after-free in unlock_filesystem
Writing a filesystem path to /proc/fs/nfsd/unlock_filesystem runs nfsd4_cancel_copy_by_sb() before nfsd_mutex is held and before the handler confirms that nn->nfsd_serv is set. Once nfsd has shut down, nfs4_state_destroy_net() has freed nn->conf_id_hashtbl but left the pointer intact, so the cancel helper iterates freed slab memory as an array of struct list_head and then dereferences a bogus nfs4_client when it takes clp->async_lock. A local administrator holding CAP_SYS_ADMIN can reach this use-after-free by stopping the server and then writing to unlock_filesystem; KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free read in nfsd4_cancel_copy_by_sb().
nfsd4_revoke_states() walks the same state tables and for that reason already runs only under nfsd_mutex with nn->nfsd_serv confirmed present. Move the async COPY cancel into that protected section so every NFSv4 state-table walker on this path observes a running server. Async copies exist only while the server runs, so gating the cancel on nn->nfsd_serv loses nothing.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-89661?
How do I fix CVE-2026-89661?
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-2026-89661 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-89661 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89661, GHSA-5jhw-w88m-cjf3, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89661.