CVE-2026-53174
Published: June 25, 2026· Updated: Jun 30, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ovl: keep err zero after successful ovl_cache_get()
ovl_iterate_merged() stores PTR_ERR(cache) in err before checking
IS_ERR(cache). On success err holds the truncated cache pointer and
can be returned as a bogus non-zero error.
The syzbot reproducer reaches this through overlay-on-overlay readdir:
getdents64
iterate_dir(outer overlay file)
ovl_iterate_merged()
ovl_cache_get()
ovl_dir_read_merged()
ovl_dir_read()
iterate_dir(inner overlay file)
ovl_iterate_merged()
Only compute PTR_ERR(cache) on the error path.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-53174 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-53174 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts