CVE-2026-98162

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Tree Connection Leak in Linux Kernel SMB Server

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-10-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb/server: fix tree connection leak in smb2_tree_connect() See the procedure below: smb2_tree_connect ksmbd_tree_conn_connect xa_store(&sess->tree_conns, tree_conn->id, tree_conn) ksmbd_counter_inc(KSMBD_COUNTER_TREE_CONNS) ksmbd_share_tree_conn_inc(sc) ksmbd_iov_pin_rsp // fail status.ret = KSMBD_TREE_CONN_STATUS_NOMEM // do not disconnect tree_conn Disconnect the new tree connection if ksmbd_iov_pin_rsp() fails.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-25

Last Modified

2026-10-15

Generated

2026-10-16

AI Q&A

2026-09-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-14

NVD

CVE-2026-98162

EUVD

EUVD-2026-87062

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	From 5.15.145 (inc) to 5.16 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.1.71 (inc) to 6.2 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.6 (inc) to 7.2.6 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-401	The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a tree connection leak in the SMB server component. When the smb2_tree_connect function fails during ksmbd_iov_pin_rsp, the tree connection is not properly disconnected, leading to a resource leak.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a tree connection leak in the Linux kernel's SMB server component. Detection may involve monitoring for unexpected increases in active SMB tree connections or failed connection attempts. Check kernel logs for errors related to smb2_tree_connect or ksmbd_tree_conn_connect. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i smb or journalctl -k | grep -i smb to review kernel messages. If using ksmbd, monitor connection counters with tools like ss -tulnp | grep smb or netstat -tulnp | grep smb.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to denial of service by exhausting available tree connections, causing the SMB server to become unresponsive or crash due to resource exhaustion.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability involves a tree connection leak in the Linux kernel's SMB server, which could lead to resource exhaustion or unauthorized access if exploited. Such issues may impact compliance by potentially violating data integrity or availability requirements under standards like GDPR or HIPAA, depending on the system's use case and data processed.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version to resolve the smb/server tree connection leak in smb2_tree_connect().

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