# CVE-2026-98553: autofs: fix sbi->pipe file reference leak in autofs_kill_sb()

> A resource leak in the Linux kernel autofs module allows local attackers to exhaust system memory, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-108863, BELL-CVE-2026-98553, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98553, GHSA-j44w-wp8g-33m4, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98553

## What is CVE-2026-98553?

CVE-2026-98553 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 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:

autofs: fix sbi->pipe file reference leak in autofs_kill_sb()

When autofs_fill_super() fails before clearing AUTOFS_SBI_CATATONIC (for
example, when find_get_pid() fails on an invalid pgrp mount option, or
when an fs_context is closed before mounting), deactivate_locked_super()
invokes autofs_kill_sb() -> autofs_catatonic_mode(sbi).

Because AUTOFS_SBI_CATATONIC is still set in sbi->flags,
autofs_catatonic_mode() returns early without calling fput(sbi->pipe),
permanently leaking the pipe struct file reference.

Explicitly release sbi->pipe in autofs_kill_sb() if it is still non-NULL
after autofs_catatonic_mode().

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98553?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98553?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98553 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98553 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98553 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98553 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98553 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-2026-98553/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98553/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98553
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98553
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98553

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98553/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.