CVE-2026-98454 (CVSS 8.1)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix create context out-of-bounds reads smb2_parse_contexts() validates the complete create-context area but does not limit each record to its Next field before dispatching it. A malformed chain can therefore expose bytes beyond the current context to a handler. The QFid handler also used a full response-structure cast although it only reads DiskFileId. The SMB2/SMB3 lease parsers made the same layout assumption: they read LeaseState and LeaseFlags at canonical offsets rather than at DataOffset. A valid non-canonical DataOffset could therefore yield unrelated in-bounds data, while a short DataLength was still accepted. Limit each context to its Next value, reject offsets before the context header, and reject malformed chains. Bound the name range by the current context and do not dispatch a known handler when DataLength is zero. Read the QFid DiskFileId only when the context data covers that field. Parse the lease context from DataOffset and require DataLength to match the v1 or v2 lease_context size used by ksmbd. A size mismatch skips lease parsing without failing the open.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0039

Probability of exploitation

0.33%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05a7fd80024ff32b9b40ab1478bb172eeab1c386 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/28bc9a871799363afa3139e961a8e3684feb8704 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67f4c1c6a1b51e203d986779299824d1c2c590a6 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cecc5399987e73a528ce2b662eeb54af69163cbd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4c49012708c917eafd9c27054b02d0f8b30fe64

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98454? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix create context out-of-bounds reads smb2_parse_contexts() validates the complete create-context area but does not limit each record to its Next field before dispatching it. A malformed chain can therefore expose bytes beyond the current context to a handler. The QFid handler also used a full response-structure cast although it only reads DiskFileId. The SMB2/SMB3 lease parsers made the same layout assumption: they read LeaseState and LeaseFlags at canonical offsets rather than at DataOffset. A valid non-canonical DataOffset could therefore yield unrelated in-bounds data, while a short DataLength was still accepted. Limit each context to its Next value, reject offsets before the context header, and reject malformed chains. Bound the name range by the current context and do not dispatch a known handler when DataLength is zero. Read the QFid DiskFileId only when the context data covers that field. Parse the lease context from DataOffset and require DataLength to match the v1 or v2 lease_context size used by ksmbd. A size mismatch skips lease parsing without failing the open. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-98454? +

CVE-2026-98454 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0039, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98454? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

CVE-2026-98454