CVE-2026-2340
Description
A flaw was found in Samba’s vfs_worm module. The module is intended to provide write-once, read-many (WORM) protections by preventing modification of files after a configurable grace period. Due to insufficient validation during rename operations, an authenticated user with write access to a share could overwrite a protected file by renaming a newly created file over the existing WORM-protected file.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated Moderate severity because exploitation requires authenticated write access to a Samba share already configured to permit file creation and modification.
The flaw affects the vfs_worm module, which provides additional immutability protections for files after a configurable grace period. Due to improper handling of rename operations, a user with existing write permissions could overwrite files that should have become immutable under the WORM policy.
The vulnerability does not bypass underlying filesystem access controls or grant additional privileges beyond those already assigned to the authenticated user. However, because the primary purpose of the vfs_worm module is to protect file integrity, the ability to modify protected files results in a high integrity impact.
Mitigation
Administrators can mitigate this issue by:
Setting read-only permissions on protected files at the underlying filesystem level will prevent modifications.
Configuring
worm:grace_period = 0(zero or less) in smb.conf will eliminate the writable grace period (will eliminate the window in which the rename can happen), understanding that this may impact workflows requiring multi-step file creation.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | N/A | 6.5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Other
Technical Impact: Other; Alter Execution Logic
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Pavel Kohout (Aisle Research) for reporting this issue.
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