CVE-2026-98995 - In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: reset the old parent's ->overmount in mn
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
namespace: reset the old parent's ->overmount in mnt_change_mountpoint()
__umount_mnt() resets ->overmount of the parent when it unmounts the
mount that overmounts it. mnt_change_mountpoint() doesn't. It moves the
mount to its new parent and leaves the old one pointing at it.
For a mount that is moved beneath in attach_recursive_mnt() that doesn't
matter. The new mount has already reset ->overmount of the old parent by
the time the old top mount is moved onto it.
It matters for reparent() though. propagate_umount() moves a surviving
overmount onto the first ancestor that isn't going to be unmounted. The
mount it was taken from is unmounted immediately afterwards. If a file
descriptor keeps that unmounted mount alive ->overmount points at the
moved mount. That's a dangling pointer and UAF as the moved mount is
unmounted and freed.
do_lock_mount() follows ->overmount from the target path under
mount_lock. With a file descriptor on such a mount as the target of a
mount beneath topmost_overmount() walks into the freed mount and
do_lock_mount() takes references on whatever it finds there.
So reset ->overmount of the old parent in mnt_change_mountpoint() the
same way __umount_mnt() does. A mount's ->overmount is then always a
mount that is attached to it.
HIGH
Severity & confidence
Source severityhigh
Platform severityhigh
Confidencehigh
Exploitationunknown
CVSS7.8
Affected
Vendorslinux
Reporting sources (1)
NIST NVD - National Vulnerability Database
Timeline & provenance
Published2026-10-23T13:17:21
Last updated2026-10-26T06:31:48
Ingested2026-10-25T15:19:18
FreshnessNEAR-REAL-TIME
Threat typevulnerability
Recommended action
No recommended action published with this item - review the original source.
Next steps
- Identify affected systems in your environment.
- Apply the vendor patch or mitigation guidance.
- Review logs for indicators described in the advisory.
- Follow the affected vendor/product to track updates.
Confidence explanation
Reported by a government or cert-grade source (CISA, NCSC, NVD, ENISA, MSRC).
Source type: standards ยท Original: NIST NVD - National Vulnerability Database