HIGH Introduced in 5.19
landlock SourceParent UAF
CVE-2026-97594
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
KernelScan AI6.6MEDIUM
01Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: landlock: Fix use-after-free of the source's parent directory current_check_refer_path() reads old_dentry->d_parent without holding a reference nor a lock on it, and then dereferences it in collect_domain_accesses() and in the audit record. A reference on a child does not pin its parent: __d_move() reassigns dentry->d_parent and drops the reference the child held on its former parent. hook_path_rename() is not affected because the rename path calls lock_rename() before the hook, so the source cannot be reparented under it. hook_path_link() has no such protection: filename_linkat() holds a reference on the source dentry but neither locks nor references its parent, so a concurrent rename(2) can reparent the source while security_path_link() runs, and the former parent can then be removed and freed while the hook walks it. A process can trigger this after entering a Landlock domain that handles at least one filesystem access right. The process can then race a linkat(2) loop against rename(2) and rmdir(2): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in collect_domain_accesses+0x278/0x290 Read of size 4 at addr ffff888160bd53f4 by task llrepro2/549 collect_domain_accesses+0x278/0x290 current_check_refer_path+0x952/0x1120 security_path_link+0x1be/0x320 filename_linkat+0x342/0x6d0 __x64_sys_linkat+0xfa/0x150 Freed by task 562: kmem_cache_free+0x139/0x4c0 i_callback+0x4b/0x80 rcu_core+0x7dc/0x10a0 Take a reference on the dentry selected as the source parent, using dget() for the common-mount-root case and dget_parent() otherwise. Release it after the hierarchy walk and synchronous audit logging. [mic: Clarify the caller, reachability, and reference handling]
02KernelScan AI Analysis
Risk summary
An unprivileged local user can trigger a use-after-free in the Landlock filesystem security hook by racing linkat(2) against rename(2) and rmdir(2) after entering a Landlock domain. The freed kernel memory can be read or corrupted, potentially leading to privilege escalation or a kernel panic. Any system with Landlock enabled (CONFIG_LANDLOCK) and interactive local users is at risk.
Vulnerability analysis
The Landlock security module inspects the parent directory of a source file during a link operation, but does not ensure that parent remains in memory. If a concurrent rename moves the source file elsewhere, the old parent directory can be freed while the security hook is still accessing it, causing a use-after-free. The fix holds a reference to the parent directory throughout the permission check and audit logging, releasing it only afterward. Any local unprivileged user can reach this by entering a Landlock sandbox and racing a link operation against a rename and directory removal; the rename path is unaffected because it already locks directories to prevent reparenting.
Lifecycle
03Fix Versions
| Branch | Introduced | Fixed in | Patch commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.12 | 5.19 | 6.12.112 | 4c37992b9668 |
| 6.18 | 5.19 | 6.18.53 | 379efd2ce8b2 |
| 7.2 | 5.19 | 7.2.7 | ba29c46ccfe3 |
| mainline | 5.19 | 7.3-rc3 | 2c6dc7925382 |