Linux kernel: ptrace dumpability logic flaw
CVE-2026-46333 Published on May 15, 2026
ptrace: slightly saner 'get_dumpable()' logic
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ptrace: slightly saner 'get_dumpable()' logic
The 'dumpability' of a task is fundamentally about the memory image of
the task - the concept comes from whether it can core dump or not - and
makes no sense when you don't have an associated mm.
And almost all users do in fact use it only for the case where the task
has a mm pointer.
But we have one odd special case: ptrace_may_access() uses 'dumpable' to
check various other things entirely independently of the MM (typically
explicitly using flags like PTRACE_MODE_READ_FSCREDS). Including for
threads that no longer have a VM (and maybe never did, like most kernel
threads).
It's not what this flag was designed for, but it is what it is.
The ptrace code does check that the uid/gid matches, so you do have to
be uid-0 to see kernel thread details, but this means that the
traditional "drop capabilities" model doesn't make any difference for
this all.
Make it all make a *bit* more sense by saying that if you don't have a
MM pointer, we'll use a cached "last dumpability" flag if the thread
ever had a MM (it will be zero for kernel threads since it is never
set), and require a proper CAP_SYS_PTRACE capability to override.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-46333 can be exploited with local system access, and requires small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. Public availability of a proof of concept (POC) exploit exists for CVE-2026-46333. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.
Weakness Type
Improper Privilege Management
The software does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-46333
You can be notified by email with stack.watch whenever vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-46333 are published in these products:
Affected Versions
Linux:- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 93d4ba49d18e3d7fb41a9927c2d0cca5e9dfefd6 is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 15b828a46f305ae9f05a7c16914b3ce273474205 is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 4709234fd1b95136ceb789f639b1e7ea5de1b181 is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 8f907d345bae8f4b3f004c5abc56bf2dfb851ea7 is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 6e5b51e74a40d377bcd3081dd33fbaa0e1aa7e3d is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 2a93a4fac7b6051d3be7cd1b015fe7320cd0404d is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 01363cb3fbd0238ffdeb09f53e9039c9edf8a730 is affected.
- Version bfedb589252c01fa505ac9f6f2a3d5d68d707ef4 and below 31e62c2ebbfdc3fe3dbdf5e02c92a9dc67087a3a is affected.
- Version d5b3e840dbf6dd2c0f30b5982b6f5ecd49e46b12 is affected.
- Version 03eed7afbc09e061f66b448daf7863174c3dc3f3 is affected.
- Version e45692fa1aea06676449b63ef3c2b6e1e72b7578 is affected.
- Version 694a95fa6dae4991f16cda333d897ea063021fed is affected.
- Version 3.16.52 and below 3.17 is affected.
- Version 4.4.40 and below 4.5 is affected.
- Version 4.8.16 and below 4.9 is affected.
- Version 4.9.1 and below 4.10 is affected.
- Version 4.10 is affected.
- Before 4.10 is unaffected.
- Version 5.10.256, <= 5.10.* is unaffected.
- Version 5.15.207, <= 5.15.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.1.173, <= 6.1.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.6.139, <= 6.6.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.12.89, <= 6.12.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.18.31, <= 6.18.* is unaffected.
- Version 7.0.8, <= 7.0.* is unaffected.
- Version 7.1, <= * is unaffected.
- Version 0:6.12.0-211.8.el10nv and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:6.12.0-231.12.el10nv and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:6.12.0-211.16.1.el10_2 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:6.12.0-55.75.1.el10_0 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-553.125.1.rt7.466.el8_10 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-553.125.1.el8_10 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-305.192.1.el8_4 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-305.192.1.el8_4 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-372.193.1.el8_6 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-372.193.1.el8_6 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-372.193.1.el8_6 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-477.143.1.el8_8 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.18.0-477.143.1.el8_8 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-687.10.1.el9_8 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-70.180.1.el9_0 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-70.180.1.rt21.252.el9_0 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-284.172.1.el9_2 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-284.172.1.rt14.457.el9_2 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-427.126.1.el9_4 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-570.116.1.el9_6 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:1.33.12-3.rhaos4.20.git64c6a00.el9 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:5.14.0-570.117.1.el9_6 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.20.0-202605141748.p2.g2a0461f.assembly.stream.el8 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 0:4.20.0-202605211651.p2.g02b0b2d.assembly.stream.el8 and below * is unaffected.
- Version 4.20.9.6.202605270908-0 and below * is unaffected.
- Version V3.1.6 and below * is affected.
- Version V3.1.6 and below * is affected.
- Version V3.1.6 and below * is affected.
- Version V3.1.6 and below * is affected.
- Version V3.1.6 and below * is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.