bpf: Invalidate RCU pointers after final spin unlock
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Invalidate RCU pointers after final spin unlock In a sleepable BPF program, a spin lock can provide the only RCU protection for a kptr. The final bpf_spin_unlock() ends that protection, but the verifier leaves the pointer valid. Another CPU can then free the object before the pointer is used. A capability-limited runtime PoC triggered a task_struct use-after-free in __bpf_get_task_stack(). Record whether the program is in an RCU-protected context before releasing the lock. Invalidate RCU-protected pointers only when the unlock leaves the final such context. This preserves valid pointers in non-sleepable programs and inside an explicit RCU read-side section.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.57, 7.2.6, 7.3
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 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-90317
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-6jx2-qmxh-94v4
- 2026-10-15 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-15 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-16 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@f81972b235f3ebfa40bdce8bcfee3f242fb24065 · CNA
- 2026-10-16 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-90317 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-90317 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-6jx2-qmxh-94v4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-90317 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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