CVE-2026-46139: smb: client: use kzalloc to zero-initialize security descriptor buffer
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
smb: client: use kzalloc to zero-initialize security descriptor buffer
Commit 62e7dd0a39c2d ("smb: common: change the data type of num_aces
to le16") split struct smb_acl's __le32 num_aces field into __le16
num_aces and __le16 reserved. The reserved field corresponds to Sbz2
in the MS-DTYP ACL wire format, which must be zero [1].
When building an ACL descriptor in build_sec_desc(), we are using a
kmalloc()'ed descriptor buffer and writing the fields explicitly using
le16() writes now. This never writes to the 2 byte reserved field,
leaving it as uninitialized heap data.
When the reserved field happens to contain non-zero slab garbage,
Samba rejects the security descriptor with "ndr_pull_security_descriptor
failed: Range Error", causing chmod to fail with EINVAL.
Change kmalloc() to kzalloc() to ensure the entire buffer is
zero-initialized.
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-dtyp/20233ed8-a6c6-4097-aafa-dd545ed24428
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux SMB client bug can put uninitialized kernel memory into a reserved ACL field when building a security descriptor. Samba may reject that descriptor, causing chmod on SMB shares to fail with EINVAL. The sources describe an operational reliability issue, not active exploitation or remote system compromise.
Executive priority
Handle through normal kernel maintenance unless SMB permission management is business-critical. There is no cited active exploitation or severity score, but affected file-service workflows may break and should be patched in routine update cycles.
Technical view
A prior Linux kernel SMB change split smb_acl num_aces and reserved fields. build_sec_desc() allocated the descriptor with kmalloc() and did not write the two-byte reserved field required to be zero by MS-DTYP. The fix changes allocation to kzalloc(), zero-initializing the buffer so Samba accepts the ACL descriptor.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to Linux systems using the kernel SMB/CIFS client against Samba or SMB shares where chmod or ACL/security descriptor operations occur. The supplied affected-version data is incomplete and inconsistent, so confirm exact exposure through distribution advisories and kernel stable fix status.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not report active exploitation, and KEV is false. The observed impact is Samba rejecting malformed security descriptors with a range error, leading to chmod failure. The uninitialized reserved field is described, but no weaponized exploit path is provided in the sources.
Researcher notes
The strongest evidence is the kernel fix rationale: an uninitialized two-byte reserved ACL field violates MS-DTYP zeroing requirements and can trigger Samba parsing failure. Affected range metadata in the bundle is not clear enough for precise version claims without vendor mapping.
Mitigation direction
Update to a vendor kernel release containing the referenced stable fixes.
Track Linux distribution advisories for exact fixed package versions.
Prioritize hosts that mount SMB shares and perform chmod or ACL operations.
If patching is delayed, monitor SMB permission-change failures closely.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernels on systems using SMB/CIFS mounts.
Check whether kernel packages include the referenced stable commits.
Review logs for Samba security descriptor range errors.
Test chmod behavior on SMB mounts after applying kernel updates.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
May 28, 2026, 09:35 UTC (UTC+00:00)
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