CVE-2026-74494

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: reject repeated SMB2 NEGOTIATE requests Unauthenticated client can send multiple successful SMB2 NEGOTIATE requests on one connection before SESSION_SETUP. While the connection is in KSMBD_SESS_NEED_SETUP, smb2_handle_negotiate() accepts another SMB3.1.1 NEGOTIATE and overwrites conn->preauth_info with a new allocation. Only the final allocation is freed when the connection is released, leaking one object for every additional successful request. A repeated SMB2 NEGOTIATE after a dialect has been selected is a protocol violation. MS-SMB2 section 3.3.5.4 requires the server to disconnect without replying in this case. Set the connection exiting when rejecting the request, in addition to suppressing the response. Reject SMB2 NEGOTIATE unless the connection is new or is waiting for the SMB2 NEGOTIATE that follows an SMB1 multi-protocol negotiate. Serialize both SMB1 and SMB2 negotiation paths under conn->srv_mutex, since they update connection-wide dialect and negotiation state. Move the locking contract to ksmbd_smb_negotiate_common(), where the state and dialect are selected, and add ksmbd_conn_new() for consistent state access.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.44, 7.1.8, 7.2-rc6 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.15
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.44 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.8 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc6

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-74494?

    CVE-2026-74494 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15 onward and has been patched in 6.18.44, 7.1.8 and 7.2-rc6. CVE-2026-74494 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74494?

    Yes. CVE-2026-74494 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.44, 7.1.8 and 7.2-rc6. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-74494 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-74494 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.