# CVE-2026-98453: smb: client: close handle after create-context parsing failure

> A flaw in the Linux kernel SMB client fails to close handles on parsing errors, allowing remote attackers to exhaust server resources and cause denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-108876, BELL-CVE-2026-98453, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98453, GHSA-8g43-4633-h8mf, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98453

## What is CVE-2026-98453?

CVE-2026-98453 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

smb: client: close handle after create-context parsing failure

SMB2_open() accounts a successful CREATE response as a remote open before
parsing its create contexts.  If smb2_parse_contexts() rejects malformed
context data, SMB2_open() returns without closing the handle, leaving the
server-side handle open and num_remote_opens elevated.

Close the handle after a post-CREATE context parsing failure so the error
path releases the remote resource and balances the open count.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98453?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98453?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98453 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98453 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98453 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98453 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98453 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-98453/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98453/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98453
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98453
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98453

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98453/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.