CVE Intelligence
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CVE-2026-99084 — readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory iterate_dir() takes the directory's i_rwsem shared and holds it across ->iterate_shared(). For a directory that never has an entry and is never removed the lock keeps nothing still, it only orders every reader and every writer of that inode behind each other. For the directory of a nullfs instance that matters. The instance of the initial mount namespace is the root of every empty mount namespace and the private instance is the root of every kernel thread, so one inode is shared across users who have nothing else in common. And a reader can hold the lock for as long as it likes: back the getdents() buffer with a mapping of a file on a FUSE mount of your own, let the copy of "." and ".." fault and let the server wait. Queue an exclusive taker behind it, a mkdir() in that directory goes through start_dirop() before the read-only mount is reported, and from then on every lookup that misses the dcache in that directory, every create and every mount on it waits until the server answers. One user of an empty mount namespace stalls all the others. Add FOP_IMMUTABLE for the file operations of a directory that never changes and is never removed and let iterate_dir() skip the lock for it. The flag never changes for a file, ->f_pos is protected by f_pos_lock since directories are FMODE_ATOMIC_POS, IS_DEADDIR can't be set on such a directory and neither touch_atime() nor fsnotify take i_rwsem. Set it on the nullfs directory. The placeholder directories of libfs never have an entry either but their owners remove them, so they keep the lock.

Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 23, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · 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
  • No scoring signals.

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
—
No EPSS score.
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 ≥ 9d4e752a24f740b31ca827bfab07010e4e7f34b0 and < 6d30b399ae28e5166d62484f81ccaefde6fe7996≥ 9d4e752a24f740b31ca827bfab07010e4e7f34b0 and < e08f57a7dcb83818c058e415988c23beb6c5a47fversion 7.1 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

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

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

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

References

2 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99087 dm-integrity: fix NULL pointer dereference when the 'R' flag is used 1h
  • CVE-2026-99086 dm-integrity: validate the superblock on resume 1h
  • CVE-2026-99085 sched_ext: Fix CPU hotplug hang when a dying CPU's tasks sit in the BPF scheduler 1h
  • CVE-2026-99083 ksmbd: fix heap out-of-bounds write in krb5_authenticate() 1h
  • CVE-2026-99082 KVM: x86: Use active memslots for the per-vCPU MMIO cache 1h
  • CVE-2026-99081 bnxt_en: fix DMA mapping length for padded small packets 1h

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 FIRST EPSS score.
  • 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-2026-99084 is "readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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