Not ratedCVE-2026-99084

    Linux Kernel: security vulnerability (CVE-2026-99084)

    Published Last modified Sources: BSI, CVE.org

    What is affected, what to do

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory iterate_dir() takes the directory's i_rwsem shared and holds it across ->iterate_shared(). For a directory that never has an entry and is never removed the lock keeps nothing still, it only orders every reader and every writer of that inode behind each other.

    Update Linux Kernel to version 7.2.12, Linux Kernel to version 7.3.

    Affected
    • Linux Kernel lt 7.1..7.2.12
    Fixed in
    • Linux Kernel 7.2.12
    • Linux Kernel 7.3

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    Metrics

    —

    Priority

    No value is available for this vulnerability.

    —

    CVSS v3

    No value is available for this vulnerability.

    0.1 %

    EPSS score

    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 3.8

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Not rated
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    30.11 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    no public PoC known
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    0.1 %
    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    3.8
    Low — this CVE sits in the lower 10% of all CVEs scored today.
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    —
    Published

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Handle the vulnerability in regular vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2.
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory iterate_dir() takes the directory's i_rwsem shared and holds it across ->iterate_shared(). For a directory that never has an entry and is never removed the lock keeps nothing still, it only orders every reader and every writer of that inode behind each other. For the directory of a nullfs instance that matters. The instance of the initial mount namespace is the root of every empty mount namespace and the private instance is the root of every kernel thread, so one inode is shared across users who have nothing else in common. And a reader can hold the lock for as long as it likes: back the getdents() buffer with a mapping of a file on a FUSE mount of your own, let the copy of "." and ".." fault and let the server wait. Queue an exclusive taker behind it, a mkdir() in that directory goes through start_dirop() before the read-only mount is reported, and from then on every lookup that misses the dcache in that directory, every create and every mount on it waits until the server answers. One user of an empty mount namespace stalls all the others. Add FOP_IMMUTABLE for the file operations of a directory that never changes and is never removed and let iterate_dir() skip the lock for it. The flag never changes for a file, ->f_pos is protected by f_pos_lock since directories are FMODE_ATOMIC_POS, IS_DEADDIR can't be set on such a directory and neither touch_atime() nor fsnotify take i_rwsem. Set it on the nullfs directory. The placeholder directories of libfs never have an entry either but their owners remove them, so they keep the lock.

    Source: BSI CSAF, BSI WID Portal, cvelistv5, NVD (NIST)

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    LinuxLinux
    • —
    • 7.1 – < 7.2.12
    • 7.3
    • 7.2.12

    Vendors and products

    References & sources

    Changes to this CVE

    Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

    1. ReceivedLinux

      Description added or changed

      Show 4 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Descriptionadded
      —
      In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory iterate_dir() takes the directory's i_rwsem shared and holds it across ->iterate_shared(). For a directory that never has an entry and is never removed the lock keeps nothing still, it only orders every reader and every writer of that inode behind each other. For the directory of a nullfs instance that matters. The instance of the initial mount namespace is the root of every empty mount namespace and the private instance is the root of every kernel thread, so one inode is shared across users who have nothing else in common. And a reader can hold the lock for as long as it likes: back the getdents() buffer with a mapping of a file on a FUSE mount of your own, let the copy of "." and ".." fault and let the server wait. Queue an exclusive taker behind it, a mkdir() in that directory goes through start_dirop() before the read-only mount is reported, and from then on every lookup that misses the dcache in that directory, every create and every mount on it waits until the server answers. One user of an empty mount namespace stalls all the others. Add FOP_IMMUTABLE for the file operations of a directory that never changes and is never removed and let iterate_dir() skip the lock for it. The flag never changes for a file, ->f_pos is protected by f_pos_lock since directories are FMODE_ATOMIC_POS, IS_DEADDIR can't be set on such a directory and neither touch_atime() nor fsnotify take i_rwsem. Set it on the nullfs directory. The placeholder directories of libfs never have an entry either but their owners remove them, so they keep the lock.
      Affected versions (publisher)added
      —
      New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/99xxx/CVE-2026-99084.json">CVE-2026-99084</a>
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6d30b399ae28e5166d62484f81ccaefde6fe7996
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e08f57a7dcb83818c058e415988c23beb6c5a47f

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

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