CVE-2026-98983
kernel: unshare: don't drop active namespace references that were never taken
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · October 23, 2026
Updated · October 29, 2026
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. During a failed namespace unshare operation, the kernel improperly decrements reference counters for namespaces that were never fully established. A local attacker could exploit this flaw by triggering specific credential allocation failures, leading to reference count inconsistencies, system instability, or a Denial of Service (DoS).
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
No mitigation is specified in collected source.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 4.7CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE-911 · Improper Update of Reference Count