GHSA-FFPF-RF35-3FHQ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-01-13 18:31 – Updated: 2026-01-13 18:31In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ksmbd: vfs: fix race on m_flags in vfs_cache
ksmbd maintains delete-on-close and pending-delete state in ksmbd_inode->m_flags. In vfs_cache.c this field is accessed under inconsistent locking: some paths read and modify m_flags under ci->m_lock while others do so without taking the lock at all.
Examples:
- ksmbd_query_inode_status() and __ksmbd_inode_close() use ci->m_lock when checking or updating m_flags.
- ksmbd_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_set_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_clear_inode_pending_delete() and ksmbd_fd_set_delete_on_close() used to read and modify m_flags without ci->m_lock.
This creates a potential data race on m_flags when multiple threads open, close and delete the same file concurrently. In the worst case delete-on-close and pending-delete bits can be lost or observed in an inconsistent state, leading to confusing delete semantics (files that stay on disk after delete-on-close, or files that disappear while still in use).
Fix it by:
- Making ksmbd_query_inode_status() look at m_flags under ci->m_lock after dropping inode_hash_lock.
- Adding ci->m_lock protection to all helpers that read or modify m_flags (ksmbd_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_set_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_clear_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_fd_set_delete_on_close()).
- Keeping the existing ci->m_lock protection in __ksmbd_inode_close(), and moving the actual unlink/xattr removal outside the lock.
This unifies the locking around m_flags and removes the data race while preserving the existing delete-on-close behaviour.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-68809"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-01-13T16:16:03Z",
"severity": null
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nksmbd: vfs: fix race on m_flags in vfs_cache\n\nksmbd maintains delete-on-close and pending-delete state in\nksmbd_inode-\u003em_flags. In vfs_cache.c this field is accessed under\ninconsistent locking: some paths read and modify m_flags under\nci-\u003em_lock while others do so without taking the lock at all.\n\nExamples:\n\n - ksmbd_query_inode_status() and __ksmbd_inode_close() use\n ci-\u003em_lock when checking or updating m_flags.\n - ksmbd_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_set_inode_pending_delete(),\n ksmbd_clear_inode_pending_delete() and ksmbd_fd_set_delete_on_close()\n used to read and modify m_flags without ci-\u003em_lock.\n\nThis creates a potential data race on m_flags when multiple threads\nopen, close and delete the same file concurrently. In the worst case\ndelete-on-close and pending-delete bits can be lost or observed in an\ninconsistent state, leading to confusing delete semantics (files that\nstay on disk after delete-on-close, or files that disappear while still\nin use).\n\nFix it by:\n\n - Making ksmbd_query_inode_status() look at m_flags under ci-\u003em_lock\n after dropping inode_hash_lock.\n - Adding ci-\u003em_lock protection to all helpers that read or modify\n m_flags (ksmbd_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_set_inode_pending_delete(),\n ksmbd_clear_inode_pending_delete(), ksmbd_fd_set_delete_on_close()).\n - Keeping the existing ci-\u003em_lock protection in __ksmbd_inode_close(),\n and moving the actual unlink/xattr removal outside the lock.\n\nThis unifies the locking around m_flags and removes the data race while\npreserving the existing delete-on-close behaviour.",
"id": "GHSA-ffpf-rf35-3fhq",
"modified": "2026-01-13T18:31:04Z",
"published": "2026-01-13T18:31:04Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68809"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5adad9727a815c26013b0d41cfee92ffa7d4037c"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/991f8a79db99b14c48d20d2052c82d65b9186cad"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ccc78781041589ea383e61d5d7a1e9a31b210b93"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee63729760f5b61a66f345c54dc4c7514e62383d"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
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