CVE-2026-72422

ksmbd: fix use-after-free of conn->preauth_info in concurrent SMB2 NEGOTIATE

Published Aug 15, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 9.8 Critical EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ksmbd: fix use-after-free of conn->preauth_info in concurrent SMB2 NEGOTIATE

conn->preauth_info is shared connection state (struct
preauth_integrity_info, kmalloc-96) that is allocated and freed by the
SMB2 NEGOTIATE handler and read by the response send path.

smb2_handle_negotiate() allocates conn->preauth_info, and on a
deassemble_neg_contexts() failure kfrees it and sets it to NULL. Both the
allocation and the free/NULL happen under ksmbd_conn_lock(conn) (the
connection srv_mutex), which is held across the whole handler body.

The response send path smb3_preauth_hash_rsp(), called from the send:
block of __handle_ksmbd_work(), reads conn->preauth_info and dereferences
conn->preauth_info->Preauth_HashValue (via
ksmbd_gen_preauth_integrity_hash()) without taking conn_lock. When a
client drives two SMB2 NEGOTIATE requests on the same connection, one
worker can free conn->preauth_info on the failing-negotiate path while a
concurrent send-path worker is reading it, producing a slab
use-after-free read (KASAN-confirmed).

The send-path read tested conn->preauth_info for NULL but raced with the
free that occurs between the NULL check and the dereference, so the NULL
guard alone does not close the window.

Serialize the NEGOTIATE-branch read in smb3_preauth_hash_rsp() under
ksmbd_conn_lock(conn) and re-check conn->preauth_info inside the lock.
Because the negotiate handler holds conn_lock across its kfree + NULL
assignment, a reader that also takes conn_lock either runs fully before
the allocation or fully after the NULL store, and can never observe the
freed-but-not-yet-NULLed pointer. ksmbd_gen_preauth_integrity_hash()
takes no locks itself (it only computes a SHA-512 over the buffer), so
no lock-ordering inversion is introduced, and conn_lock is a sleepable
mutex which is safe on this send path (it already performs network I/O).

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8781-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8816-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8816-2 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8816-3 Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8816-4 Linux kernel (GKE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8876-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) 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-8888-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8888-2 Linux kernel (Azure) 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-9003-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) 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-9043-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 9.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: fix use-after-free of conn->preauth_info in concurrent SMB2 NEGOTIATE conn->preauth_info is shared connection state (struct preauth_integrity_info, kmalloc-96) that is allocated and freed by the SMB2 NEGOTIATE handler and read by the response send path. smb2_handle_negotiate() allocates conn->preauth_info, and on a deassemble_neg_contexts() failure kfrees it and sets it to NULL. Both the allocation and the free/NULL happen under ksmbd_conn_lock(conn) (the connection srv_mutex), which is held across the whole handler body. The response send path smb3_preauth_hash_rsp(), called from the send: block of __handle_ksmbd_work(), reads conn->preauth_info and dereferences conn->preauth_info->Preauth_HashValue (via ksmbd_gen_preauth_integrity_hash()) without taking conn_lock. When a client drives two SMB2 NEGOTIATE requests on the same connection, one worker can free conn->preauth_info on the failing-negotiate path while a concurrent send-path worker is reading it, producing a slab use-after-free read (KASAN-confirmed). The send-path read tested conn->preauth_info for NULL but raced with the free that occurs between the NULL check and the dereference, so the NULL guard alone does not close the window. Serialize the NEGOTIATE-branch read in smb3_preauth_hash_rsp() under ksmbd_conn_lock(conn) and re-check conn->preauth_info inside the lock. Because the negotiate handler holds conn_lock across its kfree + NULL assignment, a reader that also takes conn_lock either runs fully before the allocation or fully after the NULL store, and can never observe the freed-but-not-yet-NULLed pointer. ksmbd_gen_preauth_integrity_hash() takes no locks itself (it only computes a SHA-512 over the buffer), so no lock-ordering inversion is introduced, and conn_lock is a sleepable mutex which is safe on this send path (it already performs network I/O).
Title ksmbd: fix use-after-free of conn->preauth_info in concurrent SMB2 NEGOTIATE
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, 5:44 AM
Reserved
Aug 9, 2026, 3:40 AM
Status
Received
Published
Aug 15, 2026, 6:22 AM
Modified
Aug 17, 2026, 6:19 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Aug 15, 2026, 12:00 AM