VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98453: Linux kernel · smb: client: close handle after create-context parsing failure

Source GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98453

Not known to be exploited · fixed in f09875ff901e933e7b22c913daf51d21e9d93a45 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in f09875ff901e933e7b22c913daf51d21e9d93a45, eaa97a196a107d4ef8775df2248181624151812e, cdb36b09fb1f86d638d0afb44d621ed3f7c1d8eb +7

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

ghsa-8g43-4633-h8mf

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=6.6.8 <6.6.160 >=5.4.277 <5.5 >=5.10.211 <5.11 >=5.15.150 <5.16 >=6.1.79 <6.2	Fixed in f09875ff901e933e7b22c913daf51d21e9d93a45 eaa97a196a107d4ef8775df2248181624151812e cdb36b09fb1f86d638d0afb44d621ed3f7c1d8eb 566820af017e81497fb5e9d3ad6e7ffe2828bc8b 80c67cc71d32ccafc89a29b669243b40d81b930f 6.6.160 6.2 5.16 5.11 5.5
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.7	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to close handles after create-context parsing failures in SMB2_open(). Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix to remediate the issue. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel SMB client was resolved where the SMB2_open() function did not close a handle after a failure in parsing create-context data. This caused the server-side handle to remain open and the count of remote opens to be incorrectly elevated. The fix ensures that handles are closed properly after such parsing failures, releasing remote resources and balancing open counts.

Impact

The vulnerability could lead to resource leakage on the server side by leaving handles open when malformed context data is encountered during SMB2 open operations. This may cause elevated counts of remote opens, potentially impacting resource management or stability on the server. There is no indication of direct exploitation or further impact such as code execution or privilege escalation.

Summary

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel SMB client involves the SMB2_open() function treating a successful CREATE response as a remote open before parsing its create contexts. If smb2_parse_contexts() rejects malformed context data, SMB2_open() returns without closing the handle, leaving the server-side handle open and num_remote_opens elevated. The resolution involves closing the handle after a post-CREATE context parsing failure to release the remote resource and balance the open count.

References

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