CVE Intelligence
Unknown

CVE-2026-98992 — namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree may_copy_tree() accepts a mount whose root is an nsfs or pidfs file before it checks whether that mount is mounted. This exception exists for nsfs and pidfs mounts. They are part of no mount namespace so neither check_mnt() nor is_mounted() would let them through and bind-mounting a nsfsfd or a pidfd wouldn't work. Problem is that exception also admits a bind mount of such a file when it was lazily unmounted and is only kept alive by a file descriptor: mount --bind /proc/self/ns/net /tmp/x exec 3< /tmp/x umount -l /tmp/x mount --rbind /proc/self/fd/3 /tmp/y With MS_REC or AT_RECURSIVE copy_tree() doesn't stop at the unmounted mount. It copies every mount that stayed attached to it as well. So if you have a bunch of overmounts over the nsfsfd or the pidfd the whole unmounted stack is copied. That's a bug. So refuse to walk an unmounted tree. Copying its root alone stays possible. So a bind mount of a namespace that is gone can still be recreated from a file descriptor on the old one. The file descriptor pins that mount and its root and __has_locked_children() only reads the direct children which don't leave the parent's list without namespace_sem. The internal mounts carry MNT_NS_INTERNAL instead of NULL and are still walked. Copying an unmounted tree recursively fails with EINVAL.

Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Sources: CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, NIST National Vulnerability Database, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

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.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.17%
ahead of 6% of scored CVEs · Oct 30, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
—
Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

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.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 86a2d56b1960720bf1844441c0890621e9db2f25≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 7e037b1fd339d865737c8accd29abcf40130a5a0≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < b47b40c4f058418f9707454543179df240796aad≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 8d3527457e183cedee3003c2897314da49488311≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 8bacbf6be959973b28b691713a872c12eae69eecversion 3.19≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 94d05b62dc7aea236db20166e79ee002e466393a≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 07c6a8f004bcc58b4ccf993e6efa7b9b8b4a1b8b
and 1 more ≥ e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac and < 31cf157298271392ab5fb0805b28d37c8d7a8057
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.21%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 30, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Source status changed · Published → Received
    Oct 23, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record published
    Oct 23, 2026
  • Source status changed · → Published
    Oct 23, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 23, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • CVE published
    Oct 23, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 2× References added · Oct 30, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026

References

10 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 2d
  • CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 2d
  • CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 2d
  • CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 2d
  • CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 2d
  • CVE-2026-99210 accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure 2d

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 CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • 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-2026-98992 is "namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.17% 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.