CVE-2026-98318

smb: client: validate absolute native symlink targets before NT fixups

Published Oct 6, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

smb: client: validate absolute native symlink targets before NT fixups

With symlinkroot unset, an absolute target is copied without conversion
to an NT drive path. Later code still assumes an NT prefix is present
when modifying the target and calculating the print name length.

For "/ab", this causes two failures: sym[5] and path[5] are written
past their allocations, and plen -= 2 * poff subtracts an assumed
8-byte prefix from a 6-byte UTF-16 target, wrapping u16 plen to 65534.
That underflow causes another overflow: memcpy() copies 65534 bytes
into a 24-byte buffer. A user with write access to a mounted share
can trigger these bugs with default settings.

Validate the NT drive prefix, including an ASCII drive letter, before
accessing fixed offsets or subtracting the prefix length.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-122
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-122
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-119
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: validate absolute native symlink targets before NT fixups With symlinkroot unset, an absolute target is copied without conversion to an NT drive path. Later code still assumes an NT prefix is present when modifying the target and calculating the print name length. For "/ab", this causes two failures: sym[5] and path[5] are written past their allocations, and plen -= 2 * poff subtracts an assumed 8-byte prefix from a 6-byte UTF-16 target, wrapping u16 plen to 65534. That underflow causes another overflow: memcpy() copies 65534 bytes into a 24-byte buffer. A user with write access to a mounted share can trigger these bugs with default settings. Validate the NT drive prefix, including an ASCII drive letter, before accessing fixed offsets or subtracting the prefix length.
Title smb: client: validate absolute native symlink targets before NT fixups
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
Oct 19, 2026, 9:17 AM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 6, 2026, 9:18 AM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 10:18 AM
Severity
Important
Public date
Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 AM