CVE-2026-97949 PUBLISHED

configfs: unhash the dentry before dropping the item in rmdir

Assigner: Linux
Reserved: 25.09.2026 Published: 25.09.2026 Updated: 25.09.2026

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

configfs: unhash the dentry before dropping the item in rmdir

configfs_get_config_item() treats a hashed dentry as proof that sd->s_element is a live config_item. configfs_rmdir() breaks that: simple_rmdir() leaves the dentry hashed, the last reference to the item is dropped right after, and the dentry is only unhashed by d_delete() once ->rmdir() has returned. configfs_symlink() resolves its target holding no lock on it, so get_target() can land in that window:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in config_item_get+0x26/0x90 get_target fs/configfs/symlink.c:128 [inline] configfs_symlink+0x4ab/0x1030 fs/configfs/symlink.c:185

Unhash in configfs_remove_dir(), while the item is still guaranteed to be there. A reference obtained just before that stays harmless, as create_link() rechecks CONFIGFS_USET_DROPPING, already set by configfs_detach_prep(). Both configfs_unregister_subsystem() paths d_drop() after detaching, so this only makes rmdir match them.

Product Status

Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: unaffected
  • affected from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa to 5d7cbfb65e47cc71d5d94d87d5d0d1679080f3eb (excl.)
  • affected from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa to 925d8564f1b2d9b46c5ab63b9bc942cea006da9b (excl.)
  • affected from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa to f06c2d26d1999d37e93299db0ecead04ca7d0b9f (excl.)
Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: affected
  • Version 2.6.16 is affected
  • unaffected from 0 to 2.6.16 (excl.)
  • unaffected from 6.18.53 to 6.18.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.2.7 to 7.2.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.3-rc3 to * (incl.)

References