In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

binfmt_misc: don't leak the user namespace when the mount fails

bm_get_tree() takes a reference to the user namespace and hands it to
get_tree_keyed() as the sget key. sget_fc() moves that reference into
sb->s_fs_info and clears fc->s_fs_info, so from that point on the
superblock owns it and bm_free() doesn't see it anymore.

The superblock drops it in ->put_super(). But generic_shutdown_super()
only calls ->put_super() from inside the if (sb->s_root) branch, so
nothing releases it when bm_fill_super() fails:

- The kzalloc_obj() failure leaves s_root NULL and the whole branch is
skipped.

- A simple_fill_super() failure in the file loop leaves s_root set, but
s_op still points at simple_super_operations, which has no
->put_super(). bm_fill_super() installs s_ops only once
simple_fill_super() returned success, and installing it earlier
wouldn't help either because simple_fill_super() overwrites s_op.

Either way vfs_get_super() calls deactivate_locked_super() and the
reference is gone for good. binfmt_misc mounts are available in a user
namespace and both the inode and the dentry cache are SLAB_ACCOUNT, so
an unprivileged caller under a tight memory cgroup can fail
simple_fill_super() on demand and leak one user namespace per attempt.

Drop the reference in ->kill_sb() instead, which runs unconditionally,
the same way nfsd and rpc_pipefs release their keyed s_fs_info.

That also stops ->put_super() from clearing s_fs_info while the
superblock is still on @fs_supers. generic_shutdown_super() leaves it
there on purpose so that sget_fc() keeps finding it until kill_sb() has
run, but a NULL s_fs_info makes test_keyed_super() miss it, so a
concurrent mount for the same user namespace skips the grab_super()
wait and creates a second superblock for a namespace that is still
being torn down.
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: binfmt_misc: don't leak the user namespace when the mount fails bm_get_tree() takes a reference to the user namespace and hands it to get_tree_keyed() as the sget key. sget_fc() moves that reference into sb->s_fs_info and clears fc->s_fs_info, so from that point on the superblock owns it and bm_free() doesn't see it anymore. The superblock drops it in ->put_super(). But generic_shutdown_super() only calls ->put_super() from inside the if (sb->s_root) branch, so nothing releases it when bm_fill_super() fails: - The kzalloc_obj() failure leaves s_root NULL and the whole branch is skipped. - A simple_fill_super() failure in the file loop leaves s_root set, but s_op still points at simple_super_operations, which has no ->put_super(). bm_fill_super() installs s_ops only once simple_fill_super() returned success, and installing it earlier wouldn't help either because simple_fill_super() overwrites s_op. Either way vfs_get_super() calls deactivate_locked_super() and the reference is gone for good. binfmt_misc mounts are available in a user namespace and both the inode and the dentry cache are SLAB_ACCOUNT, so an unprivileged caller under a tight memory cgroup can fail simple_fill_super() on demand and leak one user namespace per attempt. Drop the reference in ->kill_sb() instead, which runs unconditionally, the same way nfsd and rpc_pipefs release their keyed s_fs_info. That also stops ->put_super() from clearing s_fs_info while the superblock is still on @fs_supers. generic_shutdown_super() leaves it there on purpose so that sget_fc() keeps finding it until kill_sb() has run, but a NULL s_fs_info makes test_keyed_super() miss it, so a concurrent mount for the same user namespace skips the grab_super() wait and creates a second superblock for a namespace that is still being torn down.
Title binfmt_misc: don't leak the user namespace when the mount fails
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-15T12:27:15.709Z

Reserved: 2026-08-15T05:44:03.904Z

Link: CVE-2026-74483

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.