Kernel compromise via OCFS2 fault race
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Apr 24, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel OCFS2 allows local users to trigger an unsafe kernel-memory dereference by racing a page fault with unmapping. When filemap_fault() returns VM_FAULT_RETRY after dropping mmap_lock, concurrent munmap() can free the vm_area_struct while ocfs2_fault() retains its vma pointer, which trace_ocfs2_fault() then dereferences. The path requires low-privileged local access to a mapped OCFS2 file; successful exploitation compromises kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel OCFS2 allows local users to trigger an unsafe kernel-memory dereference by racing a page fault with unmapping. When filemap_fault() returns VM_FAULT_RETRY after dropping mmap_lock, concurrent munmap() can free the vm_area_struct while ocfs2_fault() retains its vma pointer, which trace_ocfs2_fault() then dereferences. The path requires low-privileged local access to a mapped OCFS2 file; successful exploitation compromises kernel confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-31597
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-416
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 24, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4cf2768a0291a0cdd0dae801ea0eafa3878a349d
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <76a602fdbb78dd05b2da06f74a988cebc97e82d0
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <925bf22c1b823e231b1baea761fe8a1512e442f2
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <d45ff441b416d4aa1af72b1db23d959601c04da2
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
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Your stack
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