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CVE-2026-31718: linux kernel vulnerability
CVE-2026-31718: critical vulnerability affecting linux kernel. Check CVSS, KEV status, business impact and recommended administrator actions.
- CVSS
- 9.8 CRITICAL
- EPSS
- 50.36%
- Known exploited
- not in KEV
- Product
- linux kernel
What is known
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: fix use-after-free in __ksmbd_close_fd() via durable scavenger When a durable file handle survives session disconnect (TCP close without SMB2_LOGOFF), session_fd_check() sets fp->conn = NULL to preserve the handle for later reconnection. However, it did not clean up the byte-range locks on fp->lock_list. Later, when the durable scavenger thread times out and calls __ksmbd_close_fd(NULL, fp), the lock cleanup loop did: spin_lock(&fp->conn->llist_lock); This caused a slab use-after-free because fp->conn was NULL and the original connection object had already been freed by ksmbd_tcp_disconnect(). The root cause is asymmetric cleanup: lock entries (smb_lock->clist) were left dangling on the freed conn->lock_list while fp->conn was nulled out. To fix this issue properly, we need to handle the lifetime of smb_lock->clist across three paths: - Safely skip clist deletion when list is empty and fp->conn is NULL. - Remove the lock from the old connection's lock_list in session_fd_check() - Re-add the lock to the new connection's lock_list in ksmbd_reopen_durable_fd().
Business impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-31718, a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.
Recommended administrator action
Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.