CVE-2026-89544
CVE-2026-89544 is a security vulnerability. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-89544 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: SUNRPC: fix gssx_dec_option_array error path bugs Four coupled defects in the gssx XDR option-array decoder make…
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
SUNRPC: fix gssx_dec_option_array error path bugs
Four coupled defects in the gssx XDR option-array decoder make the error paths unsafe: a NULL deref in the caller, a refcount leak on the decoded group_info, and a latent use-after-free that the leak fix would otherwise expose.
gssx_dec_option_array() sets oa->count = 1 before allocating oa->data. If that allocation fails, -ENOMEM is returned with oa->count == 1 and oa->data == NULL. All other error paths jump to free_oa: which frees oa->data and NULLs it but also leaves oa->count == 1. The caller trusts the count:
gssp_accept_sec_context_upcall()
gssx_dec_accept_sec_context()
gssx_dec_option_array() /* fails, count=1 data=NULL */
data = res.options.data[0].value /* NULL deref */
Independently, free_creds: releases the partially decoded svc_cred with a bare kfree(creds). gssx_dec_linux_creds() installs a groups_alloc() result into creds->cr_group_info; that object is kvmalloc-backed and refcounted, and only put_group_info() reaches kvfree(). A plain kfree(creds) drops the wrapper and leaks the group_info allocation.
The natural fix for the leak is to call free_svc_cred(creds) before kfree(creds), but free_svc_cred() invokes put_group_info() on creds->cr_group_info unconditionally when non-NULL. The existing out_free_groups: path in gssx_dec_linux_creds() already called groups_free() on that pointer without clearing it, so once free_svc_cred() is wired in, the subsequent put_group_info() would touch freed memory.
Fix all four together:
- Move the oa->count = 1 assignment below the oa->data allocation so it is never set when oa->data is NULL.
- Reset oa->count to 0 at free_oa: so count and data stay coherent and the caller sees an empty option array.
- Call free_svc_cred(creds) before kfree(creds) at free_creds: so the refcounted cr_group_info is released. free_svc_cred() either NULL-guards each field explicitly (cr_group_info has an if() check) or delegates to a helper that is NULL-safe itself (kfree for the string fields, gss_mech_put() which guards with if(gm) at gss_mech_switch.c:342), so it is safe to call on a partially decoded svc_cred where only cr_uid/cr_gid/cr_group_info have been written and everything else is zero from kzalloc.
- In gssx_dec_linux_creds()'s out_free_groups: path, release cr_group_info with put_group_info() rather than groups_free() so the teardown matches free_svc_cred()'s refcount-aware path, and clear the pointer so a later free_svc_cred() on the same creds does not release it a second time.
Detection & mitigation playbook
VulnerabilityDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for the affected component. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Remediation status
No patched version of the affected component has shipped for CVE-2026-89544 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-89544 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-89544. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-89544 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-89544 across dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.