CVE-2026-53394

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: avoid leaking pre-allocated openowner on unconfirmed retry race When find_or_alloc_open_stateowner() encounters an unconfirmed owner, it calls release_openowner() and sets oo = NULL. Control then falls through past the `if (oo)` guard -- which would have freed any pre-allocated `new` -- and unconditionally executes `new = alloc_stateowner(...)`. If `new` was already allocated on a prior iteration, the pointer is silently overwritten and the previous allocation (slab object + owner name buffer) is leaked. This requires a race: two NFSv4.0 OPEN threads with the same owner string, where a concurrent thread inserts a new unconfirmed owner into the hash between retry iterations. The window is narrow but repeatable under adversarial conditions. Fix by adding `goto retry` after `oo = NULL` so the already-allocated `new` is reused on the next iteration rather than overwritten.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-07-19
Last modified 2026-07-19
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.10 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.10
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.95 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.38 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.3 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-53394?

    CVE-2026-53394 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.10 onward and has been patched in 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3 and others. CVE-2026-53394 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-53394?

    Yes — CVE-2026-53394 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.10 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-53394 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-53394 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.