CVE-2026-89786

Critical

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix out-of-bounds read in ext4_read_inline_dir() ext4_read_inline_dir() can read a dirent header past the end of its inline buffer, triggering a slab-out-of-bounds read during getdents64(): BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in __ext4_check_dir_entry Read of size 2 at addr ffff88800f3dd23c by task exploit/148 ... __ext4_check_dir_entry ext4_read_inline_dir iterate_dir The dirent payload lives in a buffer of exactly inline_size bytes: dir_buf = kmalloc(inline_size, GFP_NOFS); but iteration runs in a position space extra_offset bytes larger (extra_size = extra_offset + inline_size) so the synthetic "." and ".." land at their block-dir offsets. A dirent is formed at "dir_buf + pos - extra_offset", yet the ext4_check_dir_entry() length argument uses the larger extra_size. A position whose dirent header would extend past extra_size is therefore accepted, and the rescan loop's rec_len probe and ext4_check_dir_entry() dereference de->rec_len before the entry is rejected. Reject a position whose minimum-size dirent header would not fit within extra_size before forming de, in both the rescan and main loops, and pass inline_size rather than extra_size to ext4_check_dir_entry() so the length check matches the physical buffer.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-16
Last modified 2026-09-16
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

9.1

out of 10
Critical
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.10 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.52, 7.2.6, 7.3-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.10
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.221 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.188 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.157 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.110 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.52 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.6 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-89786?

    CVE-2026-89786 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.1 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.10 onward and has been patched in 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157 and others. CVE-2026-89786 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-89786?

    CVE-2026-89786 has a CVSS score of 9.1 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:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-89786?

    Yes. CVE-2026-89786 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.10 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-89786 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-89786 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.