Endless filter walk in Linux kernel HFSC scheduler
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
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel HFSC packet scheduler (sch_hfsc) is affected from version 2.6.35 before the fixed releases. The level check on filter results is skipped for filters bound with a flowid, and class levels can change after binding, so two classes can point at each other during classification. A local user who can create a user namespace with network admin rights can set up this configuration, and a single packet sent through the device makes the classify walk loop forever with the qdisc lock held, causing a soft lockup.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: sch_hfsc: bound the classify inner-filter walk with a drift budget hfsc_classify() applies the "filter may only point downwards" level check only when the filter result carries no bound class. A filter created with a flowid gets res.class set once at bind time, so the check never runs for it during classification. hfsc_adjust_levels() can later raise a class's level without revalidating existing bindings, leaving two binds that were each legal at bind time pointing at each other; the classify walk then bounces between two interior classes forever with the qdisc lock held and BH disabled — a soft lockup from a single packet. The stuck walk trips the watchdog: watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#3 stuck for 13s! [ping:444] RIP: 0010:u32_classify+0x542/0x17f0 ... tcf_classify+0x66/0xa0 hfsc_enqueue+0x166/0xdf0 Bound the traversal with a budget of non-descending hops, the only way a configured walk can move without descending the class tree once levels drift after bind time. The budget is cumulative over the whole walk and is deliberately not reset on a descending hop: a chain that alternates a descent with a lateral hop would return the budget every lap and never trip. Descending hops never decrement it, so legitimately deep trees are unaffected and a terminating lateral chain still classifies normally. Drop the packet with a rate-limited warning once the budget is exhausted, mirroring the merged HTB fix. This is a follow-up to commit 729c4896ab82 ("net/sched: sch_htb: limit htb_classify inner-class filter hops"), which bounded the same classify loop on the HTB side but left the HFSC walk unbounded. Conditions to recreate the bug: - CONFIG_NET_SCHED, CONFIG_NET_SCH_HFSC, CONFIG_NET_CLS_U32, CONFIG_LOCKUP_DETECTOR. - Build a cycle with two legal-at-bind-time flowid binds and a level drift: class X 1:1 (child of root) with leaf child 1:10; class Y 1:2 (sibling of X) with children 1:20 and 1:200; root u32 filter flowid 1:1; filter on X flowid 1:2 (legal when Y is a leaf); after Y's level rises to 2, filter on Y flowid 1:1 (legal then). Send one packet (ping on the device). Unfixed kernel: classify spins with the qdisc lock held; with softlockup_panic=1 it panics. - Reachable from unprivileged user via unshare -Urn (CAP_NET_ADMIN).
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.35 and later | 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.35 and later Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade to Linux kernel 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 have no fix available yet.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 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: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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 OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98610
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-72rf-5f28-vmph
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-01 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d4fd251e3311727c32af89344d3332f788c153a2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/30d7fea767e830bd81ac2f73d2e33c877cb2e679
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f476fb656ca2326d7b2eba98d03ced1cbcf5cd99
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8f9979286f70dfbfe0552e2a63000950841bea6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bd20245dd658789d8cccb37697967b4caba6ad8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fa25ba50a382d79c0cf060214c2095756836f5f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1301a1292c6742b4c96a18715d49f89c3caca0d7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a60ade2277e1f0e0d0578d565354e52292fa46d
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98610 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98610 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-72rf-5f28-vmph · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98610 · 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