sched_ext: Abort directly from the hardlockup handler
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Abort directly from the hardlockup handler scx_hardlockup() defers the abort to an irq_work because exit claiming used to take scx_sched_lock and couldn't run from NMI. The deferral is now unnecessary - claiming is NMI-safe and asserting ->aborting is exactly what breaks the live-locks that hard-lock CPUs. Call handle_lockup() directly and drop the irq_work. This also makes the self-detected case recoverable: the perf watchdog fires on the hard-locked CPU itself, where a queued irq_work never runs with IRQs off. Also fix the return value: %true used to be returned whenever sched_ext was loaded, suppressing the kernel's hardlockup report even when the abort was refused. Return %true only when this call initiated the abort.
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 7.2.6, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- 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
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-90432
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3xgc-q8gm-m2rg
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-20 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-20 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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- 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-2026-90432 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-90432 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-3xgc-q8gm-m2rg · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-90432 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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