Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
kernfs: link kn to its parent before the LSM init hook
After commit 12e9e3cd03b5 ("simpe_xattr: use per-sb cache"),
kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_xattr_get() compute the cache via
kernfs_root(kn) before any other check. kernfs_root(kn) walks
kn->__parent first and falls back to kn->dir.root, both of which are
NULL on a freshly kmem_cache_zalloc()'d kn. kn->__parent was being set
in kernfs_new_node() after __kernfs_new_node() returned, and kn->dir.root
is set even later by kernfs_create_dir_ns() / kernfs_create_empty_dir().
The LSM kernfs_init_security hook is invoked from inside
__kernfs_new_node(), before either field has been initialized.
selinux_kernfs_init_security() ends with kernfs_xattr_set(kn,
XATTR_NAME_SELINUX, ...). kernfs_root(kn) then returns NULL, and
&((struct kernfs_root *)NULL)->xa_cache evaluates to
offsetof(struct kernfs_root, xa_cache) which faults:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000e0
RIP: 0010:simple_xattr_set+0x27/0x8b0
Call Trace:
kernfs_xattr_set+0x63/0xb0
selinux_kernfs_init_security+0x13b/0x270
security_kernfs_init_security+0x36/0xc0
__kernfs_new_node+0x182/0x290
kernfs_new_node+0x80/0xc0
kernfs_create_dir_ns+0x2b/0xa0
cgroup_create+0x116/0x380
cgroup_mkdir+0x7c/0x1a0
Reproduces deterministically at PID 1 (systemd) on an SELinux-enabled
distro. The first cgroup mkdir under /sys/fs/cgroup with a labelled
parent panics the kernel.
The LSM hook's contract is that the kn_dir argument is the parent of
the new kn, so kn->__parent should already point at kn_dir when the
hook runs. Move kernfs_get(parent) and rcu_assign_pointer of
kn->__parent from kernfs_new_node() into __kernfs_new_node() right
before the security hook, and unwind the parent reference on the
err_out4 path. kernfs_root(kn) then takes its parent branch during
the hook and returns parent->dir.root, which is the correct root.
This also closes the same-shape latent bug in kernfs_xattr_get() (which
today is hidden only by kernfs_iattrs_noalloc() returning NULL on a
fresh kn).
kernfs: link kn to its parent before the LSM init hook
After commit 12e9e3cd03b5 ("simpe_xattr: use per-sb cache"),
kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_xattr_get() compute the cache via
kernfs_root(kn) before any other check. kernfs_root(kn) walks
kn->__parent first and falls back to kn->dir.root, both of which are
NULL on a freshly kmem_cache_zalloc()'d kn. kn->__parent was being set
in kernfs_new_node() after __kernfs_new_node() returned, and kn->dir.root
is set even later by kernfs_create_dir_ns() / kernfs_create_empty_dir().
The LSM kernfs_init_security hook is invoked from inside
__kernfs_new_node(), before either field has been initialized.
selinux_kernfs_init_security() ends with kernfs_xattr_set(kn,
XATTR_NAME_SELINUX, ...). kernfs_root(kn) then returns NULL, and
&((struct kernfs_root *)NULL)->xa_cache evaluates to
offsetof(struct kernfs_root, xa_cache) which faults:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000e0
RIP: 0010:simple_xattr_set+0x27/0x8b0
Call Trace:
kernfs_xattr_set+0x63/0xb0
selinux_kernfs_init_security+0x13b/0x270
security_kernfs_init_security+0x36/0xc0
__kernfs_new_node+0x182/0x290
kernfs_new_node+0x80/0xc0
kernfs_create_dir_ns+0x2b/0xa0
cgroup_create+0x116/0x380
cgroup_mkdir+0x7c/0x1a0
Reproduces deterministically at PID 1 (systemd) on an SELinux-enabled
distro. The first cgroup mkdir under /sys/fs/cgroup with a labelled
parent panics the kernel.
The LSM hook's contract is that the kn_dir argument is the parent of
the new kn, so kn->__parent should already point at kn_dir when the
hook runs. Move kernfs_get(parent) and rcu_assign_pointer of
kn->__parent from kernfs_new_node() into __kernfs_new_node() right
before the security hook, and unwind the parent reference on the
err_out4 path. kernfs_root(kn) then takes its parent branch during
the hook and returns parent->dir.root, which is the correct root.
This also closes the same-shape latent bug in kernfs_xattr_get() (which
today is hidden only by kernfs_iattrs_noalloc() returning NULL on a
fresh kn).
Published:
2026-08-15
Score:
n/a
EPSS:
n/a
KEV:
No
Impact:
n/a
Action:
n/a
Analysis
Analysis and contextual insights are available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
No data.
No data.
No data available yet.
Remediation
No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.
Additional remediation guidance may be available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Tracking
Sign in to view the affected projects.
Advisories
No advisories yet.
References
History
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kernfs: link kn to its parent before the LSM init hook After commit 12e9e3cd03b5 ("simpe_xattr: use per-sb cache"), kernfs_xattr_set() and kernfs_xattr_get() compute the cache via kernfs_root(kn) before any other check. kernfs_root(kn) walks kn->__parent first and falls back to kn->dir.root, both of which are NULL on a freshly kmem_cache_zalloc()'d kn. kn->__parent was being set in kernfs_new_node() after __kernfs_new_node() returned, and kn->dir.root is set even later by kernfs_create_dir_ns() / kernfs_create_empty_dir(). The LSM kernfs_init_security hook is invoked from inside __kernfs_new_node(), before either field has been initialized. selinux_kernfs_init_security() ends with kernfs_xattr_set(kn, XATTR_NAME_SELINUX, ...). kernfs_root(kn) then returns NULL, and &((struct kernfs_root *)NULL)->xa_cache evaluates to offsetof(struct kernfs_root, xa_cache) which faults: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000e0 RIP: 0010:simple_xattr_set+0x27/0x8b0 Call Trace: kernfs_xattr_set+0x63/0xb0 selinux_kernfs_init_security+0x13b/0x270 security_kernfs_init_security+0x36/0xc0 __kernfs_new_node+0x182/0x290 kernfs_new_node+0x80/0xc0 kernfs_create_dir_ns+0x2b/0xa0 cgroup_create+0x116/0x380 cgroup_mkdir+0x7c/0x1a0 Reproduces deterministically at PID 1 (systemd) on an SELinux-enabled distro. The first cgroup mkdir under /sys/fs/cgroup with a labelled parent panics the kernel. The LSM hook's contract is that the kn_dir argument is the parent of the new kn, so kn->__parent should already point at kn_dir when the hook runs. Move kernfs_get(parent) and rcu_assign_pointer of kn->__parent from kernfs_new_node() into __kernfs_new_node() right before the security hook, and unwind the parent reference on the err_out4 path. kernfs_root(kn) then takes its parent branch during the hook and returns parent->dir.root, which is the correct root. This also closes the same-shape latent bug in kernfs_xattr_get() (which today is hidden only by kernfs_iattrs_noalloc() returning NULL on a fresh kn). | |
| Title | kernfs: link kn to its parent before the LSM init hook | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-15T05:58:31.924Z
Reserved: 2026-08-15T05:44:03.886Z
Link: CVE-2026-74342
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-08-15T06:22:35.253
Modified: 2026-08-15T06:22:35.253
Link: CVE-2026-74342
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.