CVE-2026-98986

namespace: remove the fsnotify marks of a mount namespace in process context

Published Oct 23, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

namespace: remove the fsnotify marks of a mount namespace in process context

mnt_ns_release() drops the last passive reference of a mount namespace
and removes its fanotify marks via fsnotify_mntns_delete(). That takes
the mutex of every group with a mark on the namespace and the spinlock
of the connector. Fine from process context. But mnt_ns_tree_remove()
hands the reference the namespace was allocated with to call_rcu() and
so the marks are removed from the RCU softirq:

BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/mutex.c:623
in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 0, name: swapper/3
__mutex_lock+0x113/0x24b0
fsnotify_destroy_marks+0x11b/0x3d0
mnt_ns_release_rcu+0x57/0xa0
rcu_core+0x6b6/0x1e40

and lockdep complains about the connector lock being taken from softirq
context. A fanotify group with a FAN_MARK_MNTNS mark on the mount
namespace of another task is all that's needed. Root in a user
namespace can do that for a mount namespace it owns. The task exits and
the namespace is freed with the mark still on it.

Remove the marks in free_mnt_ns() before the namespace is handed to RCU.
That runs in process context once the last active reference is gone. A
mark is added through a file descriptor to the namespace which holds an
active reference so no mark can show up after that.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
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-82
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-821
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux linux
Vendors & Products Linux linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-82
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: remove the fsnotify marks of a mount namespace in process context mnt_ns_release() drops the last passive reference of a mount namespace and removes its fanotify marks via fsnotify_mntns_delete(). That takes the mutex of every group with a mark on the namespace and the spinlock of the connector. Fine from process context. But mnt_ns_tree_remove() hands the reference the namespace was allocated with to call_rcu() and so the marks are removed from the RCU softirq: BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/mutex.c:623 in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 0, name: swapper/3 __mutex_lock+0x113/0x24b0 fsnotify_destroy_marks+0x11b/0x3d0 mnt_ns_release_rcu+0x57/0xa0 rcu_core+0x6b6/0x1e40 and lockdep complains about the connector lock being taken from softirq context. A fanotify group with a FAN_MARK_MNTNS mark on the mount namespace of another task is all that's needed. Root in a user namespace can do that for a mount namespace it owns. The task exits and the namespace is freed with the mark still on it. Remove the marks in free_mnt_ns() before the namespace is handed to RCU. That runs in process context once the last active reference is gone. A mark is added through a file descriptor to the namespace which holds an active reference so no mark can show up after that.
Title namespace: remove the fsnotify marks of a mount namespace in process context
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 23, 2026, 12:20 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 23, 2026, 1:17 PM
Modified
Oct 23, 2026, 1:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 23, 2026, 12:00 AM