CVE-2026-74343

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: fix xattr race condition with multiple superblocks Multiple superblocks with different namespaces can share the same kernfs_node when kernfs_test_super() finds a matching root but different namespace. This means multiple inodes from different superblocks can reference the same kernfs_node->iattr->xattrs structure. The VFS layer only holds per-inode locks during xattr operations, which is insufficient to serialize concurrent xattr modifications on the shared kernfs_node. This can lead to race conditions in simple_xattr_set() where the lookup->replace/remove sequence is not atomic with respect to operations from other superblocks. Fix this by protecting xattr operations with the existing hashed kernfs_locks->open_file_mutex[] array, which is already used to protect per-node open file data. The hashed mutex array provides scalable per-node serialization (scaled by CPU count, up to 1024 locks on 32+ CPU systems) with zero memory overhead. Changes: - Rename open_file_mutex[] to node_mutex[] to reflect dual purpose - Add kernfs_node_lock_ptr() and kernfs_node_lock() helpers - Protect simple_xattr_set() calls in kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_vfs_user_xattr_set() with the hashed mutex - Update file.c to use new helpers via compatibility wrappers - Update documentation to explain the extended lock usage

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 7.1 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.1.5, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 7.1
Fixed in
✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-74343?

    CVE-2026-74343 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 7.1 onward and has been patched in 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. CVE-2026-74343 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74343?

    Yes. CVE-2026-74343 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 7.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-74343 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-74343 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.