Description
On Linux, several OpenZFS ioctl authorization checks accept a capability held only within a user-created, unprivileged namespace as equivalent to real host privilege, allowing an unprivileged local user to perform operations that should require root. Affected operations include pool-administrative operations (eg create, import, destroy), pool event log access (zpool events) and fault injection (zinject). Exploiting the problem requires only that the local user is permitted to open /dev/zfs (governed by local device permissions) and that the kernel permits unprivileged user namespace creation. No prior access to the target pool or its underlying devices is needed.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenZFS | OpenZFS | 0.7.0 – < 2.2.11, 2.3.0 – < 2.3.9, 2.4.0 – < 2.4.4 | 2.2.11 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | zfs-linux | 2.4.4-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | zfs-linux | 2.3.9-0+deb13u1 | — |
| Debian 12 | zfs-linux | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | zfs-linux | 2.4.1-1ubuntu5.1 | USN-8705-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | zfs-linux | 2.2.2-0ubuntu9.5 | USN-8705-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | zfs-linux | 2.1.5-1ubuntu6~22.04.7 | USN-8705-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | zfs-linux | 0.8.3-1ubuntu12.18+esm1 | USN-8705-2 |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | zfs-linux | 0.7.5-1ubuntu16.12+esm1 | USN-8705-2 |
Advisories 2
- USN-8705-2 zfs-linux vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Sep 1, 2026
- USN-8705-1 zfs-linux vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Aug 31, 2026
References
- https://github.com/openzfs/zfs/pull/18959 patch
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mhf5-q8gw-qg9v vendor-advisory
- https://github.com/openzfs/zfs/releases/tag/zfs-2.4.4 product
- https://github.com/openzfs/zfs/releases/tag/zfs-2.3.9 product
- https://github.com/openzfs/zfs/releases/tag/zfs-2.2.11 product
- https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2026/Aug/40 mailing-list