CVE-2026-98977

namespace: handle mount locking for automounts correctly

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Published Oct 23, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 4.4 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

namespace: handle mount locking for automounts correctly

If mounts are propagated across user namespaces, attach_recursive_mnt()
locks every copy of the source mount to protect overmounts from
vanishing and revealing the underlying files or directories.

The user namespace is taken from the caller's mount namespaces since
this is where the mounts end up. Except, that's not always true.
Automounts may legitimately get popped in by tasks located in a
different mount and user namespace during path lookup.

Then check doesn't make sense at that point. The copy in the namespace
of the parent - which may be the host's - is now locked and the host
cannot change the flags of its own mounts anymore.

Here's the reproducer:

- host has debugfs mounted nosuid,nodev,noexec and shared
- tracefs automount below it is not yet active
- hand a child process a directory descriptor on that mount
- child process enters auser and mount namespace
- child process' namespace now holds a locked copy of the host's debugfs
mount that receives propagation from it
- child process stats "tracing/." through the descriptor
- lookup runs on the host's mount so the automount lands below the host's mount
- propagation puts a copy below the child's copy
- both try to clear the flags on the mount they got, with a bind remount:

host, on its own automount: MS_REMOUNT|MS_BIND = EPERM
child, on the copy in its namespace: MS_REMOUNT|MS_BIND = 0

So the lock landed on the host's mount instead of the child's copy.
Congrats. So we need to compare with the owner of the namespace the
mount actually gets mounted on. For all regular cases that is the
caller's mount namespace and so nothing changes.

Detached trees in anonymous mount namespaces by be handed over via
SCM_RIGHTS or inherited in other ways on purpose so the attaching task's
mount namespace is authoritative, not the creator of the detached tree.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4904-1 linux-6.12 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-2 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
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-284
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-281
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L'}

threat_severity

Moderate
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux linux
Vendors & Products Linux linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-284
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: handle mount locking for automounts correctly If mounts are propagated across user namespaces, attach_recursive_mnt() locks every copy of the source mount to protect overmounts from vanishing and revealing the underlying files or directories. The user namespace is taken from the caller's mount namespaces since this is where the mounts end up. Except, that's not always true. Automounts may legitimately get popped in by tasks located in a different mount and user namespace during path lookup. Then check doesn't make sense at that point. The copy in the namespace of the parent - which may be the host's - is now locked and the host cannot change the flags of its own mounts anymore. Here's the reproducer: - host has debugfs mounted nosuid,nodev,noexec and shared - tracefs automount below it is not yet active - hand a child process a directory descriptor on that mount - child process enters auser and mount namespace - child process' namespace now holds a locked copy of the host's debugfs mount that receives propagation from it - child process stats "tracing/." through the descriptor - lookup runs on the host's mount so the automount lands below the host's mount - propagation puts a copy below the child's copy - both try to clear the flags on the mount they got, with a bind remount: host, on its own automount: MS_REMOUNT|MS_BIND = EPERM child, on the copy in its namespace: MS_REMOUNT|MS_BIND = 0 So the lock landed on the host's mount instead of the child's copy. Congrats. So we need to compare with the owner of the namespace the mount actually gets mounted on. For all regular cases that is the caller's mount namespace and so nothing changes. Detached trees in anonymous mount namespaces by be handed over via SCM_RIGHTS or inherited in other ways on purpose so the attaching task's mount namespace is authoritative, not the creator of the detached tree.
Title namespace: handle mount locking for automounts correctly
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Earlier changes (1)
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 30, 2026, 12:40 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM

View source JSON

No data.

Status
Received
Published
Oct 23, 2026, 1:17 PM
Modified
Oct 30, 2026, 1:21 PM

View source JSON

Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 23, 2026, 12:00 AM

View source Bugzilla JSON

Updated
Oct 29, 2026, 10:45 PM

JSON