CVE-2026-43112: fs/smb/client: fix out-of-bounds read in cifs_sanitize_prepath

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.4% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-05-06 · updated 2026-10-19
Weakness: CWE-125

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/smb/client: fix out-of-bounds read in cifs_sanitize_prepath When cifs_sanitize_prepath is called with an empty string or a string containing only delimiters (e.g., "/"), the current logic attempts to check *(cursor2 - 1) before cursor2 has advanced. This results in an out-of-bounds read. This patch adds an early exit check after stripping prepended delimiters. If no path content remains, the function returns NULL. The bug was identified via manual audit and verified using a standalone test case compiled with AddressSanitizer, which triggered a SEGV on affected inputs.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 5.16.1 before 6.6.136; from 6.7 before 6.12.83; from 6.13 before 6.18.24; from 6.19 before 6.19.14; 5.16, 5.16-rc6, 5.16-rc7, 5.16-rc8, 7.0-rc1, 7.0-rc2 (+4) — fixed in 6.12.83, 6.18.24, 6.19.14, 6.6.136

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.12.83, 6.18.24, 6.19.14, 6.6.136. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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