Patch Forecast
Amber warning
Patch this week.

CVE-2026-98978

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: never expire a…

Risk score
62/100
CVSS
8.4 v3.1
Exploit chance (30 days)
0.2%
Published
23 Oct 2026

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What to know

What it is
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: never expire a locked mount Locked mounts are special. They protect the underlying files and directories from being revealed. do_umount() refuses to unmount locked mounts but shrink_submounts() doesn't. A shrinkable mount can become locked …
Affected
See advisory
Fix
Apply the vendor's security update; see the linked advisory.
Exploitation
No known exploitation

Why it is Amber

  • CVSS 8.4 high
  • On your watchlist: linux kernel

References

Original description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: never expire a locked mount Locked mounts are special. They protect the underlying files and directories from being revealed. do_umount() refuses to unmount locked mounts but shrink_submounts() doesn't. A shrinkable mount can become locked once the owner of a user namespace puts it beneath a locked mount with MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH. The locked property now moves to the mount at the bottom making it possible to unmount the top mount. So umount() of an unlocked ancestor now expires the bottom mount first and the covered directory is revealed: move_mount(c -> x/hidden, MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH) = 0 the cover after the lock moved: umount2(x/hidden) = 0 the holder of the lock: umount2(x/hidden) = EINVAL the root of the copy, busy: umount2(x) = EBUSY reads x/hidden/secret: "covered-by-root" So leave a locked mount alone as it dies together with its parent. A plain umount() of an unlocked mount with a locked one below it is EBUSY from now on. It's the same for any other locked child. A lazy umount still takes the whole tree. mark_mounts_for_expiry() never sees a locked mount. lock_mnt_tree() leaves a mount on an expiry list alone and nothing else puts a locked one on such a list. Add an assert for this.

Last activity 23 Oct 2026. Patch Forecast updates every hour.