CVE-2026-74343: Linux Vulnerability (CVSS 7.8)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: fix xattr race condition with multiple superblocks Multiple superblocks with different namespaces can share the same kernfs_node when kernfs_test_super() finds a matching root but different namespace. This means multiple inodes from different superblocks can reference the same kernfs_node->iattr->xattrs structure. The VFS layer only holds per-inode locks during xattr operations, which is insufficient to serialize concurrent xattr modifications on the shared kernfs_node. This can lead to race conditions in simple_xattr_set() where the lookup->replace/remove sequence is not atomic with respect to operations from other superblocks. Fix this by protecting xattr operations with the existing hashed kernfs_locks->open_file_mutex[] array, which is already used to protect per-node open file data. The hashed mutex array provides scalable per-node serialization (scaled by CPU count, up to 1024 locks on 32+ CPU systems) with zero memory overhead. Changes: - Rename open_file_mutex[] to node_mutex[] to reflect dual purpose - Add kernfs_node_lock_ptr() and kernfs_node_lock() helpers - Protect simple_xattr_set() calls in kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_vfs_user_xattr_set() with the hashed mutex - Update file.c to use new helpers via compatibility wrappers - Update documentation to explain the extended lock usage

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

0.15%

5.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= b32c4a213698ab351b44da2fd1b2a5976c7fa033, < bf53db51359939755084d08156684ed649489592; >= b32c4a213698ab351b44da2fd1b2a5976c7fa033, < 6a07814ff643b5c8e1353d8c6229f52fde205cde
Linux	Linux	7.1

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 15, 2026
Last Modified: Aug 17, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-74343?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: fix xattr race condition with multiple superblocks Multiple superblocks with different namespaces can share the same kernfs_node when kernfs_test_super() finds a matching root but different namespace. This means multiple inodes from different superblocks can reference the same kernfs_node->iattr->xattrs structure. The VFS layer only holds per-inode locks during xattr operations, which is insufficient to serialize concurrent xattr modifications on the shared kernfs_node. This can lead to race conditions in simple_xattr_set() where the lookup->replace/remove sequence is not atomic with respect to operations from other superblocks. Fix this by protecting xattr operations with the existing hashed kernfs_locks->open_file_mutex[] array, which is already used to protect per-node open file data. The hashed mutex array provides scalable per-node serialization (scaled by CPU count, up to 1024 locks on 32+ CPU systems) with zero memory overhead. Changes: - Rename open_file_mutex[] to node_mutex[] to reflect dual purpose - Add kernfs_node_lock_ptr() and kernfs_node_lock() helpers - Protect simple_xattr_set() calls in kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_vfs_user_xattr_set() with the hashed mutex - Update file.c to use new helpers via compatibility wrappers - Update documentation to explain the extended lock usage

How severe is CVE-2026-74343?

CVE-2026-74343 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-74343?

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.

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