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major vulnerability· requires attention

Kernel-level SMB/CIFS bug affects Linux kernels broadly; high CVSS and potential kernel compromise makes this widely impactful across organizations.

Systems

CVE-2026-64136

9.8
Critical
EPSS 0.49%Patch availableJul 21, 2026

Linux kernel CIFS/SMB client race corrupts refcount, risking kernel compromise.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-64136 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-64136 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.49% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-64136?

CVE-2026-64136 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-64136?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-64136. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-64136 affect?

CVE-2026-64136 affects Linux kernel (CIFS/SMB client), Linux distributions with affected kernels. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-64136?

Apply vendor kernel updates or backport commit; disable SMB client until patched.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel (CIFS/SMB client)Linux distributions with affected kernels
impact

Race in tc_count increment can corrupt reference counts causing use-after-free, kernel memory corruption leading to privilege escalation or DoS.

action required

Immediate action required

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= 953953abb66e52c224057ab91e404284fefeab62 and < 7df1df6f40c0720d30206aa35c0343b962350e0d
  • affected>= 601dd3b79769b38d30b693c40afdb2a4b7edf9d0 and < 13fb413ae22a37c69341918a6d651d19a9b0b9b7
  • affected>= 3969db6b22e3d90d8c5f22ac1a7fe0350a94c136 and < bf4ebdb19ff9b3cdf992b50715fe61633327416a
  • affected>= 96c4af418586ee9a6aab61738644366426e05316 and < e374f4e496fef8168784f93a4477d67be34485fd
  • affected>= 96c4af418586ee9a6aab61738644366426e05316 and < 4d8690dace005a38e6dbde9ecce2da3ad85c7c41
  • affected8c59eeeeffa1524ef57e173a89a1a3ff539888d5
  • affected>= 6.6.128 and < 6.6.142
  • affected>= 6.12.75 and < 6.12.92
  • affected>= 6.18.16 and < 6.18.34
  • affected>= 6.19.6 and < 6.20
  • affected7.0
vendor says fixed in< 7.0, >= 6.6.142 and <= 6.6.*, >= 6.12.92 and <= 6.12.*, >= 6.18.34 and <= 6.18.*, >= 7.0.11 and <= 7.0.*, >= 7.1 and <= *

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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