Kernel-level ksmbd vulnerability can enable remote kernel memory corruption on Linux systems, affecting widespread infrastructure and requiring org-wide attention.
CVE-2026-90162
ksmbd UAF/double-free in SMB2_LOCK allows kernel memory corruption via crafted SMB requests
Is CVE-2026-90162 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-90162 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.
How severe is CVE-2026-90162?
CVE-2026-90162 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. 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-2026-90162?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-90162. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-90162 affect?
CVE-2026-90162 affects Linux kernel (ksmbd SMB server), Linux distributions with ksmbd enabled. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-90162?
Apply the kernel patch / update to a fixed kernel or disable ksmbd immediately
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Kernel use-after-free/double-free via malformed SMB2_LOCK batches; may cause kernel crash, privilege escalation, or remote code execution.
Immediate action required
- affected>= e2f34481b24db2fd634b5edb0a5bd0e4d38cc6e9 and < a1d26dfb32919088e3638dca01068df3c4507433
- affected>= e2f34481b24db2fd634b5edb0a5bd0e4d38cc6e9 and < 29f74f0f2e6df3b393b7b66e810136d0c64e3c59
- affected5.15
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.