CVE-2026-89695

Status: ReceivedHigh (7.5)—

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

nfsd: cap decoded POSIX ACL count to bound sort cost

nfsd4_decode_posixacl() reads a u32 entry count off the wire and passes it straight to posix_acl_alloc() and sort_pacl_range(). The latter is an O(n^2) bubble sort, so a client-chosen count drives unbounded CPU in the server's compound processing path.

The encoder side in the same file already rejects ACLs whose a_count exceeds NFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES, but the decoder introduced in commit 5fc51dfc2eb1 ("NFSD: Add support for XDR decoding POSIX draft ACLs") omitted the symmetric check.

Read full descriptionShow less

Fix by rejecting a wire count greater than NFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES with nfserr_inval, before any allocation, so the sort is bounded by NFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES^2 comparisons.

While we're in here, also fix the nfserr_resource return if posix_acl_alloc() fails. That's not a legal error code for v4.1+. Change it to return nfserr_jukebox as that's more appropriate for memory allocation failures.

Technical details traces, logs and code from the original report

    nfsd4_decode_posixacl()
      xdr_stream_decode_u32(&count)       /* uncapped u32 */
      posix_acl_alloc(count, GFP_KERNEL)
      sort_pacl_range(*acl, 0, count - 1) /* O(n^2) bubble sort */

CVSS

Version: 3.1
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Base score: 7.5

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.49%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 40
Score date: 10/5/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

ExploitationT1190 Exploit Public-Facing Applicationinitial access85 %
Primary impactT1499.004 Application or System Exploitationimpact90 %
Secondary impactT1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation60 %

Vulnerabilidad de denegación de servicio en el kernel Linux (NFSD) explotable remotamente sin autenticación (AV:N, PR:N, UI:N). Un cliente no autenticado puede enviar un contador ACL no validado que causa un bucle O(n²) consumiendo CPU del servidor. El impacto secundario refleja que la falta de vali

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Filter Network Traffic Application Isolation and Sandboxing Exploit Protection Update Software Vulnerability Scanning Threat Intelligence Program

Affected technologies (1)

⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.

Linux — Linux Kernel^AI

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

{
  "id": "CVE-2026-89695",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 7.5,
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "impactScore": 3.6,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5fc51dfc2eb160bd7ab3251ab1767cacf9c8bf05",
              "lessThan": "ea14d71d6ecb925673761bcf79f781f7dc9042cc",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5fc51dfc2eb160bd7ab3251ab1767cacf9c8bf05",
              "lessThan": "4bc1108e876153a2dd6d874052b99182c3603135",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected"
        },
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7.0"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "7.0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.2.4",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.3-rc1",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/nfsd/nfs4xdr.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "affected"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2026-09-11T20:19:56.610",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc1108e876153a2dd6d874052b99182c3603135",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea14d71d6ecb925673761bcf79f781f7dc9042cc",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnfsd: cap decoded POSIX ACL count to bound sort cost\n\nnfsd4_decode_posixacl() reads a u32 entry count off the wire and passes\nit straight to posix_acl_alloc() and sort_pacl_range(). The latter is\nan O(n^2) bubble sort, so a client-chosen count drives unbounded CPU in\nthe server's compound processing path.\n\n    nfsd4_decode_posixacl()\n      xdr_stream_decode_u32(&count)       /* uncapped u32 */\n      posix_acl_alloc(count, GFP_KERNEL)\n      sort_pacl_range(*acl, 0, count - 1) /* O(n^2) bubble sort */\n\nThe encoder side in the same file already rejects ACLs whose a_count\nexceeds NFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES, but the decoder introduced in commit\n5fc51dfc2eb1 (\"NFSD: Add support for XDR decoding POSIX draft ACLs\")\nomitted the symmetric check.\n\nFix by rejecting a wire count greater than NFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES with\nnfserr_inval, before any allocation, so the sort is bounded by\nNFS_ACL_MAX_ENTRIES^2 comparisons.\n\nWhile we're in here, also fix the nfserr_resource return if\nposix_acl_alloc() fails. That's not a legal error code for v4.1+. Change\nit to return nfserr_jukebox as that's more appropriate for memory\nallocation failures."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-09-13T07:17:35.230",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}