CVE-2026-53397

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: fix posix_acl leak on SETACL decode failure nfsaclsvc_decode_setaclargs() and nfs3svc_decode_setaclargs() each call nfs_stream_decode_acl() twice, first for NFS_ACL and then for NFS_DFACL. Each successful call transfers ownership of a freshly allocated posix_acl into argp->acl_access or argp->acl_default. If the first call succeeds but the second fails, the decoder returns false and argp->acl_access is left dangling. ACLPROC2_SETACL.pc_release was wired to nfssvc_release_attrstat and ACLPROC3_SETACL.pc_release was wired to nfs3svc_release_fhandle. Both only call fh_put() and have no knowledge of the ACL fields on argp. The posix_acl_release() pairs sat at the out: labels inside nfsacld_proc_setacl() and nfsd3_proc_setacl(), but svc_process() skips pc_func when pc_decode returns false, so that cleanup is unreachable on decode failure: svc_process_common() pc_decode() /* decode_setaclargs: false */ /* pc_func skipped */ pc_release() /* fh_put only -- ACLs leaked */ The orphaned posix_acl is leaked for the lifetime of the server. Fix by adding nfsaclsvc_release_setacl() and nfs3svc_release_setacl(), which release both argp->acl_access and argp->acl_default in addition to fh_put(), and wiring them as pc_release for their respective SETACL procedures. pc_release runs on every path svc_process() takes after decode, including decode failure, so the posix_acl_release() pairs are removed from the proc functions' out: labels to keep ownership in one place. This matches the existing release_getacl() pattern used by the sibling GETACL procedures.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.13 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.260, 5.15.211, 6.1.177, 6.6.144, 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.13
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.260 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.211 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.177 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.144 6.6.x ✓ 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-2026-53397?

    CVE-2026-53397 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.13 onward and has been patched in 5.10.260, 5.15.211, 6.1.177 and others. CVE-2026-53397 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-53397?

    Yes — CVE-2026-53397 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.260, 5.15.211, 6.1.177 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-53397 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-53397 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.