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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 19:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-64389

Linux kernel: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() derives the NTLMv2 session key into sess->sess_key before it verifies the NTLMv2 response.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
8.2 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.5% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-64389 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key

ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() derives the NTLMv2 session key into sess->sess_key before it verifies the NTLMv2 response. ksmbd_decode_ntlmssp_auth_blob() then continues into KEY_XCH even when ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() failed.

With SMB3 multichannel binding, the failed authentication operates on an existing session and the session setup error path does not expire binding sessions. A client can send a binding session setup with a bad NT proof and KEY_XCH and still modify sess->sess_key before STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE is returned.

Continue reading

Relevant path:

smb2_sess_setup() -> conn->binding = true -> ntlm_authenticate() -> session_user() -> ksmbd_decode_ntlmssp_auth_blob() -> ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() -> calc_ntlmv2_hash() -> hmac_md5_usingrawkey(..., sess->sess_key) -> crypto_memneq() returns mismatch -> KEY_XCH arc4_crypt(..., sess->sess_key, ...) -> out_err without expiring the binding session

Derive the base session key into a local buffer and copy it to sess->sess_key only after the proof matches. Return immediately on authentication failure so KEY_XCH is only processed after successful authentication.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

8.2

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.5%

Scored Percentile 40.6%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-64389 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-64389, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key (CVE-2026-64389). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64389

MLA

"Linux kernel: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key (CVE-2026-64389)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64389.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key (CVE-2026-64389)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64389.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key (Jul 25, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ksmbd: validate NTLMv2 response before updating session key

ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() derives the NTLMv2 session key into
sess->sess_key before it verifies the NTLMv2 response.
ksmbd_decode_ntlmssp_auth_blob() then continues into KEY_XCH even
when ksmbd_auth_ntlmv2() failed.

With SMB3 multichannel binding, the failed authentication operates on
an existing session and the session setup error path does not expire
binding sessions.
CVSS 8.2 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64389).
EPSS 0.5% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-64389&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-64389: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64389
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-64389&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-64389.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Modified. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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