CVE-2026-53383

ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch

Published Jul 19, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch

smb2_check_user_session() takes a shortcut for any operation that is not
the first in a COMPOUND request: it reuses work->sess (the session bound by
the first operation) and validates only the SessionId, then returns
"valid". It never re-checks work->sess->state == SMB2_SESSION_VALID, and a
SessionId of 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF (ULLONG_MAX, the MS-SMB2 related-operation
value) skips even the id comparison. The standalone path
(ksmbd_session_lookup_all() plus the SESSION_SETUP state machine) does
enforce the VALID state; the compound branch bypasses all of it.

A SESSION_SETUP carrying only an NTLM Type-1 (NtLmNegotiate) blob publishes
a fresh SMB2_SESSION_IN_PROGRESS session whose sess->user is still NULL
(->user is assigned later, by ntlm_authenticate()). Used as operation 1 of
a COMPOUND with operation 2 = TREE_CONNECT (related, SessionId=ULLONG_MAX,
\\host\IPC$), the tree-connect then runs on that IN_PROGRESS session and
reaches ksmbd_ipc_tree_connect_request(), which dereferences
user_name(sess->user) with sess->user == NULL (transport_ipc.c:687/701/704)
-> remote NULL-pointer dereference and a kernel Oops that wedges the ksmbd
worker for all clients.

Reject any non-first compound operation that lands on a session which is
not SMB2_SESSION_VALID, mirroring the validity the standalone lookup path
enforces. SESSION_SETUP itself legitimately runs on an IN_PROGRESS session,
but it is never carried as a non-first compound operation, so multi-leg
authentication is unaffected by this check.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4700-1 linux-6.1 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8726-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8727-1 Linux kernel (OEM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8728-1 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8760-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8726-2 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8726-3 Linux kernel (IBM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8800-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA BaseOS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8760-2 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8726-4 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8728-2 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8728-3 Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8875-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8877-1 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8878-1 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8879-1 Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8875-2 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8917-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8918-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9029-1 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch smb2_check_user_session() takes a shortcut for any operation that is not the first in a COMPOUND request: it reuses work->sess (the session bound by the first operation) and validates only the SessionId, then returns "valid". It never re-checks work->sess->state == SMB2_SESSION_VALID, and a SessionId of 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF (ULLONG_MAX, the MS-SMB2 related-operation value) skips even the id comparison. The standalone path (ksmbd_session_lookup_all() plus the SESSION_SETUP state machine) does enforce the VALID state; the compound branch bypasses all of it. A SESSION_SETUP carrying only an NTLM Type-1 (NtLmNegotiate) blob publishes a fresh SMB2_SESSION_IN_PROGRESS session whose sess->user is still NULL (->user is assigned later, by ntlm_authenticate()). Used as operation 1 of a COMPOUND with operation 2 = TREE_CONNECT (related, SessionId=ULLONG_MAX, \\host\IPC$), the tree-connect then runs on that IN_PROGRESS session and reaches ksmbd_ipc_tree_connect_request(), which dereferences user_name(sess->user) with sess->user == NULL (transport_ipc.c:687/701/704) -> remote NULL-pointer dereference and a kernel Oops that wedges the ksmbd worker for all clients. Reject any non-first compound operation that lands on a session which is not SMB2_SESSION_VALID, mirroring the validity the standalone lookup path enforces. SESSION_SETUP itself legitimately runs on an IN_PROGRESS session, but it is never carried as a non-first compound operation, so multi-leg authentication is unaffected by this check.
Title ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Aug 17, 2026, 4:50 AM
Reserved
Jun 9, 2026, 7:44 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Jul 19, 2026, 12:16 PM
Modified
Aug 17, 2026, 5:17 AM
Severity
Public date
Jul 19, 2026, 12:00 AM