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TI-2026-18803 Aliases CVE-2026-23368GHSA-qvjj-9xg3-chp9

net: phy: register phy led_triggers during probe to avoid AB-BA deadlock

Priority LOW 24CWE-667Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-667 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phy: register phy led_triggers during probe to avoid AB-BA deadlock There is an AB-BA deadlock when both LEDS_TRIGGER_NETDEV and LED_TRIGGER_PHY are enabled: [ 1362.049207] [<8054e4b8>] led_trigger_register+0x5c/0x1fc <-- Trying to get lock "triggers_list_lock" via down_write(&triggers_list_lock); [ 1362.054536] [<80662830>] phy_led_triggers_register+0xd0/0x234 [ 1362.060329] [<8065e200>] phy_attach_direct+0x33c/0x40c [ 1362.065489] [<80651fc4>] phylink_fwnode_phy_connect+0x15c/0x23c [ 1362.071480] [<8066ee18>] mtk_open+0x7c/0xba0 [ 1362.075849] [<806d714c>] __dev_open+0x280/0x2b0 [ 1362.080384] [<806d7668>] __dev_change_flags+0x244/0x24c [ 1362.085598] [<806d7698>] dev_change_flags+0x28/0x78 [ 1362.090528] [<807150e4>] dev_ioctl+0x4c0/0x654 <-- Hold lock "rtnl_mutex" by calling rtnl_lock(); [ 1362.094985] [<80694360>] sock_ioctl+0x2f4/0x4e0 [ 1362.099567] [<802e9c4c>] sys_ioctl+0x32c/0xd8c [ 1362.104022] [<80014504>] syscall_common+0x34/0x58 Here LED_TRIGGER_PHY is registering LED triggers during phy_attach while holding RTNL and then taking triggers_list_lock. [ 1362.191101] [<806c2640>] register_netdevice_notifier+0x60/0x168 <-- Trying to get lock "rtnl_mutex" via rtnl_lock(); [ 1362.197073] [<805504ac>] netdev_trig_activate+0x194/0x1e4 [ 1362.202490] [<8054e28c>] led_trigger_set+0x1d4/0x360 <-- Hold lock "triggers_list_lock" by down_read(&triggers_list_lock); [ 1362.207511] [<8054eb38>] led_trigger_write+0xd8/0x14c [ 1362.212566] [<80381d98>] sysfs_kf_bin_write+0x80/0xbc [ 1362.217688] [<8037fcd8>] kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x17c/0x28c [ 1362.223174] [<802cbd70>] vfs_write+0x21c/0x3c4 [ 1362.227712] [<802cc0c4>] ksys_write+0x78/0x12c [ 1362.232164] [<80014504>] syscall_common+0x34/0x58 Here LEDS_TRIGGER_NETDEV is being enabled on an LED. It first takes triggers_list_lock and then RTNL. A classical AB-BA deadlock. phy_led_triggers_registers() does not require the RTNL, it does not make any calls into the network stack which require protection. There is also no requirement the PHY has been attached to a MAC, the triggers only make use of phydev state. This allows the call to phy_led_triggers_registers() to be placed elsewhere. PHY probe() and release() don't hold RTNL, so solving the AB-BA deadlock.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00103 0th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 +5Red Hat: 4 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux4.16 and later5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.17, 6.19.7, 7.0Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.16 and later Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.17, 6.19.7, 7.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 9

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*4.16.1 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.78; 6.13 to before 6.18.17; 6.19 to before 6.19.7VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:*4.16VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc7VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.16.1 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.167; 6.2 to before 6.6.130; 6.7 to before 6.12.78; 6.13 to before 6.18.17; 6.19 to before 6.19.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.16 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.17, 6.19.7, 7.0

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-23368
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qvjj-9xg3-chp9
  3. 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources