CVE-2026-45915
Published: May 27, 2026· Updated: May 27, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fat: avoid parent link count underflow in rmdir
Corrupted FAT images can leave a directory inode with an incorrect
i_nlink (e.g. 2 even though subdirectories exist). rmdir then
unconditionally calls drop_nlink(dir) and can drive i_nlink to 0,
triggering the WARN_ON in drop_nlink().
Add a sanity check in vfat_rmdir() and msdos_rmdir(): only drop the
parent link count when it is at least 3, otherwise report a filesystem
error.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-45915 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-45915 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts