Memory disclosure or crash via short SMB response
Published May 28, 2026 · Updated May 28, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in the Linux Kernel SMB client in affected releases allows remote attackers to disclose kernel memory or crash clients. smb2_check_message accepts a short symlink-error response without validating its length, after which symlink_data reads ErrorContextCount or ByteCount beyond a 64-byte header. A malicious, compromised, or man-in-the-middle SMB server can trigger the flaw after a share is mounted, exposing adjacent kernel memory through readlink or causing a kernel oops.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in the Linux Kernel SMB client in affected releases allows remote attackers to disclose kernel memory or crash clients. smb2_check_message accepts a short symlink-error response without validating its length, after which symlink_data reads ErrorContextCount or ByteCount beyond a 64-byte header. A malicious, compromised, or man-in-the-middle SMB server can trigger the flaw after a share is mounted, exposing adjacent kernel memory through readlink or causing a kernel oops.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-46185
- Published
- May 28, 2026
- Updated
- May 28, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-125, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 28, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2d046892a493d9760c35fdaefc3017f27f91b621
- Affected versionversion=6.0.16 <6.1
- Affected versionversion=6.1
- Affected versionversion=76894f3e2f71177747b8b4763fb180e800279585 <15dc0a4de743a1aaa7b859b3aea79f08c695396c
- Affected versionversion=76894f3e2f71177747b8b4763fb180e800279585 <b8c8a704f0bc133deb171f6aeb6f3a684203e212
- Affected versionversion=76894f3e2f71177747b8b4763fb180e800279585 <b9561402489d41149f63e001a74384863b7b30a6
- Affected versionversion=76894f3e2f71177747b8b4763fb180e800279585 <d62b8d236fab503c6fec1d3e9a38bea71feaca20
- Affected versionversion=76894f3e2f71177747b8b4763fb180e800279585 <ef6495d4df6e7af8f3de67e65150881c880f696c
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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