CVE-2026-99040
KEYS: Fix add_key() race with keyring restriction
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Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KEYS: Fix add_key() race with keyring restriction __key_create_or_update() snapshots keyring->restrict_link before taking the destination keyring's semaphore. keyring_restrict() installs a restriction while holding that semaphore. This allows a writer to observe no restriction, wait for the keyring owner to install a reject-all restriction and return successfully, and then link a key using the stale NULL snapshot. The writer only needs write permission on the destination keyring. Move the restrict_link read after __key_link_lock() and __key_link_begin(). The read and the subsequent restriction check are then serialized with restriction installation by keyring->sem. The race was reproduced on v7.2.8 in 19 executions where restriction installation returned before the link completed. All 19 linked the key despite the reject-all restriction. With this change, 312 executions reached the same ordering and every add_key() call failed with -EPERM. The issue was found by manual concurrency analysis assisted by AI-based analysis and independently verified with a QEMU reproducer and kernel instrumentation.
Affected products and packages
CNA (CVE.org)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | affected: 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c … < 305f1828b871dd46bf41addeb6f11d2c162dcb25 affected: 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c … < f99399b48e3edd6851fac34cd329bab9f1f33baf affected: 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c … < 11516a0c402a6c1fa52254aa70d8d65fb921e59e affected: 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c … < da0b595d8e6e2dd798f6e34e09dc51a13b888514 affected: 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c … < dd3ea3fcba7c75493760cdbccd35f029597e8d5e default: unaffected |
| Linux | Linux | affected: 4.7 unaffected: 0 … < 4.7 unaffected: 6.6.160 … <= 6.6.* unaffected: 6.12.113 … <= 6.12.* unaffected: 6.18.57 … <= 6.18.* unaffected: 7.2.11 … <= 7.2.* unaffected: 7.3 … <= * default: affected |
Open-source packages (GitHub Advisory / OSV)
KEYS: Fix add_key() race with keyring restriction
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| >= 5ac7eace2d00eab5ae0e9fdee63e38aee6001f7c, < 305f1828b871dd46bf41addeb6f11d2c162dcb25; < f99399b48e3edd6851fac34cd329bab9f1f33baf; < 11516a0c402a6c1fa52254aa70d8d65fb921e59e; < da0b595d8e6e2dd798f6e34e09dc51a13b888514; < dd3ea3fcba7c75493760cdbccd35f029597e8d5e | 305f1828b871dd46bf41addeb6f11d2c162dcb25, f99399b48e3edd6851fac34cd329bab9f1f33baf, 11516a0c402a6c1fa52254aa70d8d65fb921e59e, da0b595d8e6e2dd798f6e34e09dc51a13b888514, dd3ea3fcba7c75493760cdbccd35f029597e8d5e | ||
| Linux | Kernel | >= 4.7.0, < 6.6.160; >= 6.7.0, < 6.12.113; >= 6.13.0, < 6.18.57; >= 6.19.0, < 7.2.11 | 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 |
Linux distribution status
References (8)
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git OSV
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11516a0c402a6c1fa52254aa70d8d65fb921e59e NVD, CNA, OSV
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/305f1828b871dd46bf41addeb6f11d2c162dcb25 NVD, CNA, OSV
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da0b595d8e6e2dd798f6e34e09dc51a13b888514 NVD, CNA, OSV
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd3ea3fcba7c75493760cdbccd35f029597e8d5e NVD, CNA, OSV
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f99399b48e3edd6851fac34cd329bab9f1f33baf NVD, CNA, OSV
- https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/99xxx/CVE-2026-99040.json OSV
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99040 OSV