keys: Check the authorization payload in process keyring searches

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: keys: Check the authorization payload in process keyring searches An authorization payload and its saved credentials must remain valid while search_process_keyrings_rcu() searches the requestor's keyrings. The function validates the authorization key, then separately loads payload.data[0] and unconditionally reads rka->cred. Validation does not prevent request_key_auth_revoke() from clearing the payload. A request-key helper can assume authority and fork a descendant that inherits the authorization key. If the descendant misses in its own keyrings, it falls back to the saved requestor credentials. Successful target instantiation invalidates the authorization key without clearing the payload. After the helper exits, UMH_WAIT_PROC returns to the requester, which calls complete_request_key() and revokes that key. With the descendant paused after validation, the paths can interleave as follows: 1. The descendant enters search_process_keyrings_rcu() under RCU and key_validate() succeeds. 2. The helper instantiates the target, invalidates the authorization key, and exits. 3. The requester resumes from UMH_WAIT_PROC, calls complete_request_key(), and revokes the authorization key. request_key_auth_revoke() sets its payload pointer to NULL. 4. The descendant loads NULL and dereferences rka->cred. This NULL dereference can oops the kernel. RCU delays payload disposal but does not prevent the pointer from being cleared. Load the payload with dereference_key_rcu() and require a non-NULL result before validating the authorization key and searching its saved credentials. A non-NULL payload and its credentials remain alive for the caller's RCU read-side section; a cleared payload skips the fallback search and follows the existing error selection. KASAN report as below: Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000005: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000028-0x000000000000002f] RIP: 0010:search_process_keyrings_rcu+0x32b/0x790

Timeline

Scores

No CVSS score yet: neither the CNA, CISA nor NVD has scored this CVE. NVD status: Received.

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.18% · top 92% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Not scored.

Affected products

• Linux · Linux

  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 14fb6fad526b35a7ebd121f1dd313abe652e0aa6
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 458cf9715af6aff3ac8d2ec60bd59e9d6236fd0f
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 7d3d2fffe933e538472ccafe5bbc7109488b9ce3
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 26949c2e4c461e9e620e935bc22717f36a40b615
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 984a178d54515779a1bee100b92a6cee8777c830
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < b86db7993051d05810601654e886a1e78e1fa495
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < b4dfda438fee3c6faa15d9b421c373de6a0e476f
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 49f4e768540d25d8852ef750313afda6a4774871
  • affected e59428f721ee096d8a020504ea908a6f0d952735 – < 0a0ec45bf577a9b4d4960567f20d3877ef480de9

• Linux · Linux

  • affected 5.3
  • unaffected < 5.3
  • unaffected 5.10.273 – ≤ 5.10.*
  • unaffected 5.15.224 – ≤ 5.15.*
  • unaffected 6.1.191 – ≤ 6.1.*
  • unaffected 6.6.161 – ≤ 6.6.*
  • unaffected 6.12.115 – ≤ 6.12.*
  • unaffected 6.18.60 – ≤ 6.18.*
  • unaffected 7.2.14 – ≤ 7.2.*
  • unaffected 7.3.1 – ≤ 7.3.*
  • unaffected 7.4-rc1 – ≤ *

References (9)

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14fb6fad526b35a7ebd121f1dd313abe652e0aa6 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/458cf9715af6aff3ac8d2ec60bd59e9d6236fd0f (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d3d2fffe933e538472ccafe5bbc7109488b9ce3 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26949c2e4c461e9e620e935bc22717f36a40b615 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/984a178d54515779a1bee100b92a6cee8777c830 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b86db7993051d05810601654e886a1e78e1fa495 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4dfda438fee3c6faa15d9b421c373de6a0e476f (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49f4e768540d25d8852ef750313afda6a4774871 (opens in a new tab)
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a0ec45bf577a9b4d4960567f20d3877ef480de9 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2026-99225](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2026-99225.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-99225)

Record last updated 3 Nov 2026, 19:12 UTC.