CVE-2026-90042

Critical

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ceph: properly decrypt filenames in vmalloc() buffers The fscrypt subsystem uses the scatterlist crypto API, inheriting its requirement that any buffers are in the linear mapping region. However, the messenger client uses kvmalloc() to create buffers for messages, which will occasionally place those buffers in the vmalloc() region when physical memory fragmentation doesn't permit a large enough kmalloc(). The various callers of ceph_fname_to_usr() directly pass (slices of) raw messages from the MDS without considering that the messages may be in vmalloc() buffers, resulting in oopses especially on non-x86 platforms (see 'Closes:' for more details and a reproducer). Make ceph_fname_to_usr() explicitly tolerant of vmalloc()-allocated fname->ctext, fname->name, and/or oname->name buffers, using `tname` (which, when non-null, must be a linear address; when null, is briefly allocated as necessary) as a bounce buffer to avoid passing any inappropriate addresses to fscrypt_fname_disk_to_usr(). Additionally change parse_reply_info_readdir() -- the only function to supply its own `tname` -- to follow the new "tname must never come from vmalloc()" rule by passing NULL when the message is not in the linear region. Though this causes a per-dentry kmalloc()+kfree(), this overhead exists only when processing the minority of messages that spill into vmalloc(). My (crude) testing puts this at only about 1 in 8,000 readdir messages. Still, if the overhead proves unreasonable in the future, it is easy enough to mitigate: a future change could allocate a bounce buffer in parse_reply_info_readdir() and use that as `tname` instead.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-16
Last modified 2026-09-21
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

9.8

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.6 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.5, 7.3-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.6
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.51 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.5 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-90042?

    CVE-2026-90042 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.6 onward and has been patched in 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.5 and others. CVE-2026-90042 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-90042?

    CVE-2026-90042 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-2026-90042?

    Yes. CVE-2026-90042 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.5 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.6 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-90042 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-90042 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.