Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
unshare: don't drop active namespace references that were never taken
Active references on the namespaces of an nsproxy are taken when the
nsproxy is installed into a task in switch_task_namespaces() and
copy_namespaces() and dropped again by put_nsproxy() through
deactivate_nsproxy().
But ksys_unshare() calls put_nsproxy() on an nsproxy that was never
installed when set_cred_ucounts() fails. The new namespaces of that
nsproxy go from zero to minus one and the namespaces shared with the
caller lose a reference that belongs to the nsproxy the caller keeps
using:
WARNING: kernel/nscommon.c:171 at __ns_ref_active_put+0x1cd/0x230
nsproxy_ns_active_put
deactivate_nsproxy
ksys_unshare
Afterwards the namespaces the caller lives in aren't listed by listns()
anymore. set_cred_ucounts() only fails when alloc_ucounts() can't
allocate and it only allocates when the real uid of the caller differs
from its effective uid.
Commit cefd55bd2159 ("nsproxy: fix free_nsproxy() and simplify
create_new_namespaces()") separated the two cases on purpose.
nsproxy_free() frees an nsproxy that was prepared but never installed
and that's what a failed setns() uses in put_nsset(). Export it and use
it for a failed unshare() as well.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.15.209 – < 5.16, 6.1.175 – < 6.2, 6.6.141 – < 6.7, 6.12.91 – < 6.13, 6.18.33 – < 6.19, 7.0.10 – < 7.1, 7.1 | 5.16 |
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 | linux | 7.2.11-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux | 7.3.0-10.10 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-aws +4 | 7.3.0-1004.4 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-azure-fde | 7.3.0-1004.5 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-riscv +1 | 7.3.0-10.10.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux | 7.0.0-43.43 | USN-9018-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-aws | 7.0.0-1017.18 | USN-9018-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure | 7.0.0-1020.21 | USN-9019-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 7.0.0-1019.19 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 7.0.0-1017.19 | USN-9018-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gke | 7.0.0-1010.11 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 7.0.0-1018.18 | USN-9018-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 7.0.0-1016.18 | USN-9018-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 7.0.0-1023.23 | USN-9021-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 7.0.0-43.43.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-riscv +2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux +44 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-7.0 | 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-hwe-7.0 | 7.0.0-43.43~24.04.1 | USN-9018-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle-7.0 | 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv-7.0 | 7.0.0-43.43.1~24.04.2 | — |
Show 9 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +59 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime +2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 +10 | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 6
- USN-9018-2 linux-hwe-7.0 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9021-1 linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-4152 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9020-1 linux-aws-7.0, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-7.0, linux-gcp-7.0, linux-gke, linux-oracle-7.0, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9019-1 linux-azure vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9018-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp, linux-ibm, linux-oem-7.0, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 11, 2026