CVE-2026-43106

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.11%

Last modified

CVE-2026-43106 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cachefiles: fix incorrect dentry refcount in cachefiles_cull() The patch mentioned below changed cachefiles_bury_object() to expect 2 references to the 'rep' dentry. Three of the callers were changed to use start_removing_dentry() which takes an extra reference so in those cases the call gets the expected references. However there is another call to cachefiles_bury_object() in cachefiles_cull() which did not need to be changed to use start_removing_dentry() and so was not properly considered. It still passed the dentry with just one reference so the net result is that a reference is lost. To meet the expectations of cachefiles_bury_object(), cachefiles_cull() must take an extra reference before the call. EPSS estimates a 0.11% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cachefiles: fix incorrect dentry refcount in cachefiles_cull() The patch mentioned below changed cachefiles_bury_object() to expect 2 references to the 'rep' dentry. Three of the callers were changed to use start_removing_dentry() which takes an extra reference so in those cases the call gets the expected references. However there is another call to cachefiles_bury_object() in cachefiles_cull() which did not need to be changed to use start_removing_dentry() and so was not properly considered. It still passed the dentry with just one reference so the net result is that a reference is lost. To meet the expectations of cachefiles_bury_object(), cachefiles_cull() must take an extra reference before the call. It will be dropped by cachefiles_bury_object().

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.11%

1.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.19, < 6.19.14
LinuxLinux Kernel7.0Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43106?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cachefiles: fix incorrect dentry refcount in cachefiles_cull() The patch mentioned below changed cachefiles_bury_object() to expect 2 references to the 'rep' dentry. Three of the callers were changed to use start_removing_dentry() which takes an extra reference so in those cases the call gets the expected references. However there is another call to cachefiles_bury_object() in cachefiles_cull() which did not need to be changed to use start_removing_dentry() and so was not properly considered. It still passed the dentry with just one reference so the net result is that a reference is lost. To meet the expectations of cachefiles_bury_object(), cachefiles_cull() must take an extra reference before the call. It will be dropped by cachefiles_bury_object().
How severe is CVE-2026-43106?
CVE-2026-43106 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.11% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43106?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-43106?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST