Missing RCU locking in Linux kernel coredump thread wakeup
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel is affected from version 2.6.27. In coredump_finish(), parked threads are released without holding RCU or a task reference, so a thread can exit and be freed before wake_up_process() runs, a use-after-free. A local user with low privileges can trigger this under high attack complexity, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: coredump: hold RCU while releasing parked threads coredump_finish() releases the parked threads by clearing ->task in their core_thread entry and calling wake_up_process() on each of them. It does that without holding a reference on the task and without being inside rcu. But calling wake_up_process(task) without rcu here isn't safe. A parked thread doesn't need that wakeup to leave. A spurious wakeup or a preemption after the store is enough for the task to go away. So if the coredump client is preempted between the store and wake_up_process() the thread can exit and be freed in the meantime and try_to_wake_up() takes pi_lock in freed memory. Hold rcu across the loop.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.60, 7.2.14, 7.3.1 or 7.4-rc1, or to a release that includes the fixing commits. Red Hat lists its plan as none available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.60, 7.2.14, 7.3.1, 7.4-rc1
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 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | 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: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-11-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99218
- 2026-11-02 Alias added: GHSA-2cpv-4f6v-pr9h
- 2026-11-03 Fix available: Linux/Linux@61d58591aa0188bf2463e263962256316ff8b576, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-03 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-04 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-11-04 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-04 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd0fbe84312fda2fc187428c92c50b7d03a9d24c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71146c437bae59e5280f657965dc6d006ee3989b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fce73efee40c65ce26641c5d93942462f9e8307
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16e94ed90b1b02398e044d41fd1db34828daa08e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0f09ff4c6b93312e565cfe75d76c3a551a3ec4c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0eca0edddf4c1dbaf6d1f6a8636b4235f5bc573
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61d58591aa0188bf2463e263962256316ff8b576
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99218 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99218 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2cpv-4f6v-pr9h · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99218 · 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