---
id: CVE-2026-98388
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  exec: do_close_on_exec() before taking exec_update_lock

  do_close_on_exec() currently happens while holding the exec_update_lock,
  which is used in a lot of places that …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  exec: do_close_on_exec() before taking exec_update_lock

  do_close_on_exec() currently happens while holding the exec_update_lock,
  which is used in a lot of places that …
severity: medium
published: '2026-10-14'
updated: '2026-10-14'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-14T14:17:49.617'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98388'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d86cd6b709c39216e6ee5ea8f0fc4242bbb2b53'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19ddef61ee0a49782a60f8f497e50597ad5de2da'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3feb4020bfb7ccf0d347f27051639d25e19cd65d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/550feab5b01000ab314868b62211fb3ddfd600e8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5aacc19ba2b1faf84c4a2f2cf9a1784e03d1ff38'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/63be3d8511bdafa095cd14a393cbf3c58dbbb928'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/955973fff4a36d39a848b00cac1706863f568fe1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e780259b54e618ceb4763fbc21314acf3565e813'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98388.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98388'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2552216'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98388'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98388'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98388.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
ingestedAt: '2026-10-14T15:36:13.976Z'
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= ae1e630bcaac739f625822078edbaea98366930d <
    955973fff4a36d39a848b00cac1706863f568fe1
  - >-
    Linux >= d54f14655fd7d7b293698a8b6918563c4c0465e7 <
    550feab5b01000ab314868b62211fb3ddfd600e8
  - >-
    Linux >= bb43679356f1f2a4c6b1c88aec4f021e5b5c74e9 <
    5aacc19ba2b1faf84c4a2f2cf9a1784e03d1ff38
  - >-
    Linux >= 7456ae990a9738962b33146916fabca62ae3d4e0 <
    3feb4020bfb7ccf0d347f27051639d25e19cd65d
  - >-
    Linux >= 4bfe8c481846cee52473a2f7d7b30ee8e6749fc4 <
    0d86cd6b709c39216e6ee5ea8f0fc4242bbb2b53
  - >-
    Linux >= f9b4b03ccc9c69bf7f7298d4559906ebea7143b3 <
    19ddef61ee0a49782a60f8f497e50597ad5de2da
  - >-
    Linux >= 6650527444dadc63d84aa939d14ecba4fadb2f69 <
    63be3d8511bdafa095cd14a393cbf3c58dbbb928
  - >-
    Linux >= 6650527444dadc63d84aa939d14ecba4fadb2f69 <
    e780259b54e618ceb4763fbc21314acf3565e813
  - Linux c1cfd63326f5d09999134e9052c353faf738286e
  - Linux >= 5.10.261 < 5.10.271
  - Linux >= 5.15.212 < 5.15.222
  - Linux >= 6.1.178 < 6.1.189
  - Linux >= 6.6.145 < 6.6.158
  - Linux >= 6.12.97 < 6.12.111
  - Linux >= 6.18.40 < 6.18.53
  - Linux >= 7.1.4 < 7.2
  - Linux 7.2
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-833
epss: 0.00211
epssPercentile: 0.11206
---

## Overview

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

exec: do_close_on_exec() before taking exec_update_lock

do_close_on_exec() currently happens while holding the exec_update_lock,
which is used in a lot of places that access process state to
synchronize access checks.
I recently added another such use of exec_update_lock, causing a
regression.

do_close_on_exec() can block waiting for a reply from a filesystem.
That means a hung filesystem can block codepaths that use
exec_update_lock; and it also means that a FUSE filesystem which
attempts to inspect the calling process can deadlock.

To avoid such problems, move do_close_on_exec() before the
exec_update_lock is taken, but after the FD table has been copied if
necessary.

I have looked through all the calls between the old and new position of
the do_close_on_exec() call; there seems to be no file descriptor table
access in between.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Low · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · updated 2026-10-18 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98388.json)