md: fix array_state=clear sysfs deadlock
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: 2 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: md: fix array_state=clear sysfs deadlock When "clear" is written to array_state, md_attr_store() breaks sysfs active protection so the array can delete itself from its own sysfs store method. However, md_attr_store() currently drops the mddev reference before calling sysfs_unbreak_active_protection(). Once do_md_stop(..., 0) has made the mddev eligible for delayed deletion, the temporary kobject reference taken by sysfs_break_active_protection() can become the last kobject reference protecting the md kobject. That allows sysfs_unbreak_active_protection() to drop the last kobject reference from the current sysfs writer context. kobject teardown then recurses into kernfs removal while the current sysfs node is still being unwound, and lockdep reports recursive locking on kn->active with kernfs_drain() in the call chain. Reproducer on an existing level: 1. Create an md0 linear array and activate it: mknod /dev/md0 b 9 0 echo none > /sys/block/md0/md/metadata_version echo linear > /sys/block/md0/md/level echo 1 > /sys/block/md0/md/raid_disks echo "$(cat /sys/class/block/sdb/dev)" > /sys/block/md0/md/new_dev echo "$(($(cat /sys/class/block/sdb/size) / 2))" > \ /sys/block/md0/md/dev-sdb/size echo 0 > /sys/block/md0/md/dev-sdb/slot echo active > /sys/block/md0/md/array_state 2. Wait briefly for the array to settle, then clear it: sleep 2 echo clear > /sys/block/md0/md/array_state The warning looks like: WARNING: possible recursive locking detected bash/588 is trying to acquire lock: (kn->active#65) at __kernfs_remove+0x157/0x1d0 but task is already holding lock: (kn->active#65) at sysfs_unbreak_active_protection+0x1f/0x40 ... Call Trace: kernfs_drain __kernfs_remove kernfs_remove_by_name_ns sysfs_remove_group sysfs_remove_groups __kobject_del kobject_put md_attr_store kernfs_fop_write_iter vfs_write ksys_write Restore active protection before mddev_put() so the extra sysfs kobject reference is dropped while the mddev is still held alive. The actual md kobject deletion is then deferred until after the sysfs write path has fully returned.
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
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.33, 7.0.10, 7.1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-53125
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9m96-3qwq-4728
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-53125 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-53125 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9m96-3qwq-4728 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-53125 · 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