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

ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch

smb2_check_user_session() takes a shortcut for any operation that is not
the first in a COMPOUND request: it reuses work->sess (the session bound by
the first operation) and validates only the SessionId, then returns
"valid". It never re-checks work->sess->state == SMB2_SESSION_VALID, and a
SessionId of 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF (ULLONG_MAX, the MS-SMB2 related-operation
value) skips even the id comparison. The standalone path
(ksmbd_session_lookup_all() plus the SESSION_SETUP state machine) does
enforce the VALID state; the compound branch bypasses all of it.

A SESSION_SETUP carrying only an NTLM Type-1 (NtLmNegotiate) blob publishes
a fresh SMB2_SESSION_IN_PROGRESS session whose sess->user is still NULL
(->user is assigned later, by ntlm_authenticate()). Used as operation 1 of
a COMPOUND with operation 2 = TREE_CONNECT (related, SessionId=ULLONG_MAX,
\\host\IPC$), the tree-connect then runs on that IN_PROGRESS session and
reaches ksmbd_ipc_tree_connect_request(), which dereferences
user_name(sess->user) with sess->user == NULL (transport_ipc.c:687/701/704)
-> remote NULL-pointer dereference and a kernel Oops that wedges the ksmbd
worker for all clients.

Reject any non-first compound operation that lands on a session which is
not SMB2_SESSION_VALID, mirroring the validity the standalone lookup path
enforces. SESSION_SETUP itself legitimately runs on an IN_PROGRESS session,
but it is never carried as a non-first compound operation, so multi-leg
authentication is unaffected by this check.
Published: 2026-07-19
Score: 7.5 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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History

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch smb2_check_user_session() takes a shortcut for any operation that is not the first in a COMPOUND request: it reuses work->sess (the session bound by the first operation) and validates only the SessionId, then returns "valid". It never re-checks work->sess->state == SMB2_SESSION_VALID, and a SessionId of 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF (ULLONG_MAX, the MS-SMB2 related-operation value) skips even the id comparison. The standalone path (ksmbd_session_lookup_all() plus the SESSION_SETUP state machine) does enforce the VALID state; the compound branch bypasses all of it. A SESSION_SETUP carrying only an NTLM Type-1 (NtLmNegotiate) blob publishes a fresh SMB2_SESSION_IN_PROGRESS session whose sess->user is still NULL (->user is assigned later, by ntlm_authenticate()). Used as operation 1 of a COMPOUND with operation 2 = TREE_CONNECT (related, SessionId=ULLONG_MAX, \\host\IPC$), the tree-connect then runs on that IN_PROGRESS session and reaches ksmbd_ipc_tree_connect_request(), which dereferences user_name(sess->user) with sess->user == NULL (transport_ipc.c:687/701/704) -> remote NULL-pointer dereference and a kernel Oops that wedges the ksmbd worker for all clients. Reject any non-first compound operation that lands on a session which is not SMB2_SESSION_VALID, mirroring the validity the standalone lookup path enforces. SESSION_SETUP itself legitimately runs on an IN_PROGRESS session, but it is never carried as a non-first compound operation, so multi-leg authentication is unaffected by this check.
Title ksmbd: reject non-VALID session in compound request branch
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-07-20T13:39:47.835Z

Reserved: 2026-06-09T07:44:35.401Z

Link: CVE-2026-53383

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

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cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

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