CVE-2026-90234

HIGH
Published Sep 17, 2026 Modified Sep 18, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFS: Return a delegation the client fails to record When an NFS server grants a delegation in an OPEN reply, nfs_inode_set_delegation() records it on the client. However, three of its error flows return without sending DELEGRETURN. A delegation can be relinquished only by DELEGRETURN (RFC 8881 Section 20.2.4), so dropping one silently leaves the server believing the client still holds it. If the server happens to recall that delegation, the client answers CB_RECALL with NFS4ERR_BADHANDLE because it has no record of the stateid. The server revokes the delegation and moves it onto its cl_revoked list, because the client never sends the FREE_STATEID that would drain it. Every subsequent SEQUENCE reply then carries SEQ4_STATUS_RECALLABLE_STATE_REVOKED, and the client's state manager loops issuing TEST_STATEID across its delegations without ever clearing the condition. The window is easy to reach now that a server offers a write delegation on any write OPEN: a delegation recalled for one opener races a re-open that the server answers with a fresh write delegation. Instead of dropping it, hand the delegation back during these error flows.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5
HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0061
Probability of exploitation
0.48%
Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-90234? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFS: Return a delegation the client fails to record When an NFS server grants a delegation in an OPEN reply, nfs_inode_set_delegation() records it on the client. However, three of its error flows return without sending DELEGRETURN. A delegation can be relinquished only by DELEGRETURN (RFC 8881 Section 20.2.4), so dropping one silently leaves the server believing the client still holds it. If the server happens to recall that delegation, the client answers CB_RECALL with NFS4ERR_BADHANDLE because it has no record of the stateid. The server revokes the delegation and moves it onto its cl_revoked list, because the client never sends the FREE_STATEID that would drain it. Every subsequent SEQUENCE reply then carries SEQ4_STATUS_RECALLABLE_STATE_REVOKED, and the client's state manager loops issuing TEST_STATEID across its delegations without ever clearing the condition. The window is easy to reach now that a server offers a write delegation on any write OPEN: a delegation recalled for one opener races a re-open that the server answers with a fresh write delegation. Instead of dropping it, hand the delegation back during these error flows. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2026-90234? +
CVE-2026-90234 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0061, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-90234? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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