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

cifs: fix DFS traversal oops without CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL

When compiled with CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL disabled, cifs_dfs_d_automount
is NULL. cifs.ko logic for mapping CIFS_FATTR_DFS_REFERRAL attributes to
S_AUTOMOUNT and corresponding dentry flags is retained regardless of
CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL, leading to a NULL pointer dereference in
VFS follow_automount() when traversing a DFS referral link:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
...
Call Trace:
<TASK>
__traverse_mounts+0xb5/0x220
? cifs_revalidate_mapping+0x65/0xc0 [cifs]
step_into+0x195/0x610
? lookup_fast+0xe2/0xf0
path_lookupat+0x64/0x140
filename_lookup+0xc2/0x140
? __create_object+0x299/0x380
? kmem_cache_alloc+0x119/0x220
? user_path_at_empty+0x31/0x50
user_path_at_empty+0x31/0x50
__x64_sys_chdir+0x2a/0xd0
? exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0xca/0x100
do_syscall_64+0x42/0x90
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc

This fix adds an inline cifs_dfs_d_automount() {return -EREMOTE} handler
when CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL is disabled. An alternative would be to
avoid flagging S_AUTOMOUNT, etc. without CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL. This
approach was chosen as it provides more control over the error path.
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cifs: fix DFS traversal oops without CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL When compiled with CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL disabled, cifs_dfs_d_automount is NULL. cifs.ko logic for mapping CIFS_FATTR_DFS_REFERRAL attributes to S_AUTOMOUNT and corresponding dentry flags is retained regardless of CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL, leading to a NULL pointer dereference in VFS follow_automount() when traversing a DFS referral link: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 ... Call Trace: <TASK> __traverse_mounts+0xb5/0x220 ? cifs_revalidate_mapping+0x65/0xc0 [cifs] step_into+0x195/0x610 ? lookup_fast+0xe2/0xf0 path_lookupat+0x64/0x140 filename_lookup+0xc2/0x140 ? __create_object+0x299/0x380 ? kmem_cache_alloc+0x119/0x220 ? user_path_at_empty+0x31/0x50 user_path_at_empty+0x31/0x50 __x64_sys_chdir+0x2a/0xd0 ? exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0xca/0x100 do_syscall_64+0x42/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc This fix adds an inline cifs_dfs_d_automount() {return -EREMOTE} handler when CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL is disabled. An alternative would be to avoid flagging S_AUTOMOUNT, etc. without CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL. This approach was chosen as it provides more control over the error path.
Title cifs: fix DFS traversal oops without CONFIG_CIFS_DFS_UPCALL
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-09-15T14:46:15.977Z

Reserved: 2025-09-15T14:19:21.848Z

Link: CVE-2023-53246

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2025-09-15T15:15:51.803

Modified: 2025-09-15T15:22:27.090

Link: CVE-2023-53246

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.