futex: Clear stale exiting pointer in futex_lock_pi() retry path
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: futex: Clear stale exiting pointer in futex_lock_pi() retry path Fuzzying/stressing futexes triggered: WARNING: kernel/futex/core.c:825 at wait_for_owner_exiting+0x7a/0x80, CPU#11: futex_lock_pi_s/524 When futex_lock_pi_atomic() sees the owner is exiting, it returns -EBUSY and stores a refcounted task pointer in 'exiting'. After wait_for_owner_exiting() consumes that reference, the local pointer is never reset to nil. Upon a retry, if futex_lock_pi_atomic() returns a different error, the bogus pointer is passed to wait_for_owner_exiting(). CPU0 CPU1 CPU2 futex_lock_pi(uaddr) // acquires the PI futex exit() futex_cleanup_begin() futex_state = EXITING; futex_lock_pi(uaddr) futex_lock_pi_atomic() attach_to_pi_owner() // observes EXITING *exiting = owner; // takes ref return -EBUSY wait_for_owner_exiting(-EBUSY, owner) put_task_struct(); // drops ref // exiting still points to owner goto retry; futex_lock_pi_atomic() lock_pi_update_atomic() cmpxchg(uaddr) *uaddr ^= WAITERS // whatever // value changed return -EAGAIN; wait_for_owner_exiting(-EAGAIN, exiting) // stale WARN_ON_ONCE(exiting) Fix this by resetting upon retry, essentially aligning it with requeue_pi.
Why it matters now
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.4.255 to before 4.5; 4.9.255 to before 4.10; 4.14.158 to before 4.15; 4.19.172 to before 4.20; 5.4.1 to before 5.5 | 4.5, 4.10, 4.15, 4.20, 5.5 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.5 and later | 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.4.255 to before 4.5; 4.9.255 to before 4.10; 4.14.158 to before 4.15; 4.19.172 to before 4.20; 5.4.1 to before 5.5 Fixed in 4.5, 4.10, 4.15, 4.20, 5.5 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.5 and later Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 9
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.4.255 to before 4.5; 4.9.255 to before 4.10; 4.14.158 to before 4.15; 4.19.172 to before 4.20; 5.4.1 to before 5.5; 5.5.1 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.168; 6.2 to before 6.6.131; 6.7 to before 6.12.80; 6.13 to before 6.18.21; 6.19 to before 6.19.11 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.4.255 to before 4.5; 4.9.255 to before 4.10; 4.14.158 to before 4.15; 4.19.172 to before 4.20; 5.4.1 to before 5.5; 5.5.1 to before 5.10.253; 5.11 to before 5.15.203; 5.16 to before 6.1.168; 6.2 to before 6.6.131; 6.7 to before 6.12.80; 6.13 to before 6.18.21; 6.19 to before 6.19.11 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.5 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 4.5, 4.10, 4.15, 4.20, 5.5
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2026:51035 Released 2026-08-06 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, libperf-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-687.36.1.el9_8 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:51035 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:51035 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:51035 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:51035 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:51035 |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-31555
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-58x2-94x2-vr83
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/33095ae3bdde5e5c264d7e88a2f3e7703a26c7aa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7824ec168d2ac883a213cd1f4d6cc0816002a85
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e8e06bf8909e79b4acd950cf578cfc2f10bbefa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de7c0c04ad868f2cee6671b11c0a6d20421af1da
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7475dfad10a05a5bfadebf5f2499bd61b19ed293
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92e47ad03e03dbb5515bdf06444bf6b1e147310d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71112e62807d1925dc3ae6188b11f8cfc85aec23
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/210d36d892de5195e6766c45519dfb1e65f3eb83
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Sources
- CVE-2026-31555 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-31555 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-58x2-94x2-vr83 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-31555 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences