---
id: CVE-2026-98978
title: 'namespace: never expire a locked mount'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  namespace: never expire a locked mount

  Locked mounts are special. They protect the underlying files and
  directories from being revealed. do_umount() refuses to unmount…
severity: high
cvss: 8.4
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 <
    6b8dc3713a76346d212abab46cbfc8d7070f534c
  - >-
    Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 <
    d23265a12e4991ce7aedce670c0b6b598cadb644
  - >-
    Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 <
    f78ddcc872248c7aa1d7e904928441a0be4c6d5d
  - Linux 3.12
published: '2026-10-23'
updated: '2026-10-24'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-24T14:09:47.444Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98978'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b8dc3713a76346d212abab46cbfc8d7070f534c'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d23265a12e4991ce7aedce670c0b6b598cadb644'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f78ddcc872248c7aa1d7e904928441a0be4c6d5d'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00206
epssPercentile: 0.1015
ingestedAt: '2026-10-23T13:24:55.549Z'
---

## Overview

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

namespace: never expire a locked mount

Locked mounts are special. They protect the underlying files and
directories from being revealed. do_umount() refuses to unmount locked
mounts but shrink_submounts() doesn't.

A shrinkable mount can become locked once the owner of a user namespace
puts it beneath a locked mount with MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH. The locked
property now moves to the mount at the bottom making it possible to
unmount the top mount.

So umount() of an unlocked ancestor now expires the bottom mount first
and the covered directory is revealed:

  move_mount(c -> x/hidden, MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH) = 0
  the cover after the lock moved:  umount2(x/hidden) = 0
  the holder of the lock:          umount2(x/hidden) = EINVAL
  the root of the copy, busy:      umount2(x) = EBUSY
  reads x/hidden/secret: "covered-by-root"

So leave a locked mount alone as it dies together with its parent. A
plain umount() of an unlocked mount with a locked one below it is EBUSY
from now on. It's the same for any other locked child. A lazy umount
still takes the whole tree.

mark_mounts_for_expiry() never sees a locked mount. lock_mnt_tree()
leaves a mount on an expiry list alone and nothing else puts a locked
one on such a list. Add an assert for this.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 < 6b8dc3713a76346d212abab46cbfc8d7070f534c`
- `Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 < d23265a12e4991ce7aedce670c0b6b598cadb644`
- `Linux >= 5ff9d8a65ce80efb509ce4e8051394e9ed2cd942 < f78ddcc872248c7aa1d7e904928441a0be4c6d5d`
- `Linux 3.12`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.