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Response snapshot Oct 31, 2026, 14:16 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-99203

Linux kernel: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure F_SETFL and FIOASYNC decide whether to invoke ->fasync() before pipe_fasync() takes pipe->mutex. Two enables of one O_RDWR FIFO can therefore both enter the callback.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-99203 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure

F_SETFL and FIOASYNC decide whether to invoke ->fasync() before pipe_fasync() takes pipe->mutex. Two enables of one O_RDWR FIFO can therefore both enter the callback.

fasync_helper() allocates before checking for an existing entry. If the first enable installs both entries, a second enable can update the reader entry and then fail the allocation for the writer entry. The error path removes the pre-existing reader entry, clearing FASYNC while the writer entry remains registered.

Continue reading

__fput() then skips ->fasync(), so a later pipe notification can dereference the freed file or its f_owner. An unprivileged memory-pressure reproducer triggers a KASAN slab-use-after-free in send_sigio() through this path.

Keep the reader helper's result and undo the registration only if this call added it. The pipe mutex serializes changes to both lists, so a failed new registration still removes its reader, while a failed duplicate preserves the existing registrations and FASYNC. Successful duplicate enables continue to update fa_fd as before.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

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

Not available

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-2026-99203 (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

Cite this record

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

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 31). Linux kernel: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure (CVE-2026-99203). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99203

MLA

"Linux kernel: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure (CVE-2026-99203)." KEVWire, 31 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99203.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure (CVE-2026-99203)." Last modified October 31, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-99203.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure (Oct 28, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

pipe: preserve existing fasync readers on writer setup failure

F_SETFL and FIOASYNC decide whether to invoke ->fasync() before
pipe_fasync() takes pipe->mutex. Two enables of one O_RDWR FIFO can
therefore both enter the callback.

fasync_helper() allocates before checking for an existing entry. If the
first enable installs both entries, a second enable can update the
reader entry and then fail the allocation for the writer entry.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 31, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99203).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-99203: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99203
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-31T12:40:58.114Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-31T14:15:57.636Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-31T10:50:56.512Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-31T13:40:56.165Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
Record ID: CVE-2026-99203.
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 31, 2026, 14:15 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. 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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