In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree
may_copy_tree() accepts a mount whose root is an nsfs or pidfs file
before it checks whether that mount is mounted. This exception exists
for nsfs and pidfs mounts. They are part of no mount namespace so
neither check_mnt() nor is_mounted() would let them through and
bind-mounting a nsfsfd or a pidfd wouldn't work.
Problem is that exception also admits a bind mount of such a file when
it was lazily unmounted and is only kept alive by a file descriptor:
mount --bind /proc/self/ns/net /tmp/x
exec 3< /tmp/x
umount -l /tmp/x
mount --rbind /proc/self/fd/3 /tmp/y
With MS_REC or AT_RECURSIVE copy_tree() doesn't stop at the unmounted
mount. It copies every mount that stayed attached to it as well. So if
you have a bunch of overmounts over the nsfsfd or the pidfd the whole
unmounted stack is copied. That's a bug.
So refuse to walk an unmounted tree. Copying its root alone stays
possible. So a bind mount of a namespace that is gone can still be
recreated from a file descriptor on the old one. The file descriptor
pins that mount and its root and __has_locked_children() only reads the
direct children which don't leave the parent's list without
namespace_sem. The internal mounts carry MNT_NS_INTERNAL instead of NULL
and are still walked. Copying an unmounted tree recursively fails with
EINVAL.
namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree
may_copy_tree() accepts a mount whose root is an nsfs or pidfs file
before it checks whether that mount is mounted. This exception exists
for nsfs and pidfs mounts. They are part of no mount namespace so
neither check_mnt() nor is_mounted() would let them through and
bind-mounting a nsfsfd or a pidfd wouldn't work.
Problem is that exception also admits a bind mount of such a file when
it was lazily unmounted and is only kept alive by a file descriptor:
mount --bind /proc/self/ns/net /tmp/x
exec 3< /tmp/x
umount -l /tmp/x
mount --rbind /proc/self/fd/3 /tmp/y
With MS_REC or AT_RECURSIVE copy_tree() doesn't stop at the unmounted
mount. It copies every mount that stayed attached to it as well. So if
you have a bunch of overmounts over the nsfsfd or the pidfd the whole
unmounted stack is copied. That's a bug.
So refuse to walk an unmounted tree. Copying its root alone stays
possible. So a bind mount of a namespace that is gone can still be
recreated from a file descriptor on the old one. The file descriptor
pins that mount and its root and __has_locked_children() only reads the
direct children which don't leave the parent's list without
namespace_sem. The internal mounts carry MNT_NS_INTERNAL instead of NULL
and are still walked. Copying an unmounted tree recursively fails with
EINVAL.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
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| Vendors | Products |
|---|---|
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Linux
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Advisories
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Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Fri, 23 Oct 2026 18:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| First Time appeared |
Linux linux
|
|
| Vendors & Products |
Linux linux
|
Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-20 |
Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree may_copy_tree() accepts a mount whose root is an nsfs or pidfs file before it checks whether that mount is mounted. This exception exists for nsfs and pidfs mounts. They are part of no mount namespace so neither check_mnt() nor is_mounted() would let them through and bind-mounting a nsfsfd or a pidfd wouldn't work. Problem is that exception also admits a bind mount of such a file when it was lazily unmounted and is only kept alive by a file descriptor: mount --bind /proc/self/ns/net /tmp/x exec 3< /tmp/x umount -l /tmp/x mount --rbind /proc/self/fd/3 /tmp/y With MS_REC or AT_RECURSIVE copy_tree() doesn't stop at the unmounted mount. It copies every mount that stayed attached to it as well. So if you have a bunch of overmounts over the nsfsfd or the pidfd the whole unmounted stack is copied. That's a bug. So refuse to walk an unmounted tree. Copying its root alone stays possible. So a bind mount of a namespace that is gone can still be recreated from a file descriptor on the old one. The file descriptor pins that mount and its root and __has_locked_children() only reads the direct children which don't leave the parent's list without namespace_sem. The internal mounts carry MNT_NS_INTERNAL instead of NULL and are still walked. Copying an unmounted tree recursively fails with EINVAL. | |
| Title | namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-10-23T12:20:11.256Z
Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.384Z
Link: CVE-2026-98992
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-10-23T13:17:21.283
Modified: 2026-10-23T13:17:21.283
Link: CVE-2026-98992
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-10-23T18:30:02Z
Weaknesses