CVE-2026-46139 — smb: client: use kzalloc to zero-initialize security descriptor buffer
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: use kzalloc to zero-initialize security descriptor buffer Commit 62e7dd0a39c2d ("smb: common: change the data type of num_aces to le16") split struct smb_acl's __le32 num_aces field into __le16 num_aces and __le16 reserved. The reserved field corresponds to Sbz2 in the MS-DTYP ACL wire format, which must be zero [1]. When building an ACL descriptor in build_sec_desc(), we are using a kmalloc()'ed descriptor buffer and writing the fields explicitly using le16() writes now. This never writes to the 2 byte reserved field, leaving it as uninitialized heap data. When the reserved field happens to contain non-zero slab garbage, Samba rejects the security descriptor with "ndr_pull_security_descriptor failed: Range Error", causing chmod to fail with EINVAL. Change kmalloc() to kzalloc() to ensure the entire buffer is zero-initialized. [1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-dtyp/20233ed8-a6c6-4097-aafa-dd545ed24428
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
≥ 1593ddb37bd124c131fe635397df68e854a03108 and < 4c3ed344a970aad51388ac3b0145b98318f0e21fversion 6.14≥ 6.13.11 and < 6.14≥ 6.12.23 and < 6.12.88version 191f2f444745087c3c51fd6042a0e25f42315ab0≥ 62e7dd0a39c2d0d7ff03274c36df971f1b3d2d0d and < 5e489c6c47a2ac15edbaca153b9348e42c1eacab≥ 62e7dd0a39c2d0d7ff03274c36df971f1b3d2d0d and < 9bdb2ca31368b7671949dfb94a5d57ffccd01edd≥ 62e7dd0a39c2d0d7ff03274c36df971f1b3d2d0d and < be1ef9512a3f5a755895c24f31b334342f4aa15b and 1 more≥ da087905e3270e2291c0afae39a28e7d183e5ec3 and < 941a1e6eb35440336913afc88a82103291956d5d |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
≥ 6.12.23 and < 6.12.88version 7.1-rc2version 7.1-rc1version 6.14-rc7version 6.14-rc6version 6.14≥ 6.19 and < 7.0.7≥ 6.14.1 and < 6.18.30 and 1 more≥ 6.13.11 and < 6.14 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.16%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Undergoing Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
5 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/be1ef9512a3f5a755895c24f31b334342f4aa15b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bdb2ca31368b7671949dfb94a5d57ffccd01edd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c3ed344a970aad51388ac3b0145b98318f0e21f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/941a1e6eb35440336913afc88a82103291956d5d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e489c6c47a2ac15edbaca153b9348e42c1eacab
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 12h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 12h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-46139 is "smb: client: use kzalloc to zero-initialize security descriptor buffer", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.16% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.