CVE-2026-89485
CriticalIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: lockd: pin next file across nlm_inspect_file lock-drop nlm_traverse_files() pins the current file with f_count++ across a mutex_unlock for nlm_inspect_file(), but nothing pins the saved next pointer. A concurrent nlm_release_file() can kfree the next file during the unlock window, and the iterator dereferences freed memory on the next loop step. Pin both current and next before the lock-drop. Advance by swapping the pinned cursors at the end of each iteration so next is always held alive across the unlock. Always call nlm_file_release() after dropping the iteration pin, regardless of whether the file matched the predicate. Use nlm_file_inuse(), which does a live walk of the inode lock list, rather than the cached f_locks field, so skipped files that never ran nlm_inspect_file() are evaluated correctly. Because every file in a hash bucket is now pinned and released, files skipped by the is_failover_file predicate that have no locks, blocks, shares, or external references are deleted during traversal. The old code never evaluated skipped files for cleanup. The new behavior is intentional: such files are stale and should not persist in the table.
CVSS 3.1 score
9.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
2.6.18
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.270,
5.15.221,
6.1.188,
6.6.157,
6.12.109,
6.18.50,
7.2.4,
7.3-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-89485?
CVE-2026-89485 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.18 onward and has been patched in 5.10.270, 5.15.221, 6.1.188 and others. CVE-2026-89485 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-89485?
CVE-2026-89485 has a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-89485?
Yes. CVE-2026-89485 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.270, 5.15.221, 6.1.188 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.18 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-89485 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-89485 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.