Lost io_uring wake up can leave Linux kernel task stuck in execve()
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
The Linux kernel from 7.2 has a flaw in io_uring request cancellation where a wake up is spent on a task that is still running. The submitting task can then go to sleep with queued work it never runs, so a task in execve() or exit can stay blocked until a signal arrives. The sources list no CWE for this flaw.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/cancel: rearm local work wake up before sleep io_uring_try_cancel_requests() sets ->cq_wait_nr to 1 so that the next io_req_local_work_add() wakes the cancelling task. The add that takes the count to zero is the only one that wakes, later ones see a count <= 0 and return. io_uring_cancel_generic() however only becomes TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE much later, so the one wake up can be spent on a running task. That is fine as long as the entry of that add is still queued, as the io_local_work_pending() check then skips the sleep. It is not if the add was delayed after queueing its entry: CPU0 (submitter in exec or exit) CPU1 (io_req_local_work_add) mpscq_push(req A) io_uring_try_cancel_requests() io_run_local_work() // runs req A io_uring_try_cancel_requests() atomic_set(&ctx->cq_wait_nr, 1) atomic_read(&ctx->cq_wait_nr) == 1 count taken, wake_up_state() // task is running, no-op prepare_to_wait(TASK_INTERRUPTIBLE) io_local_work_pending() == false schedule() mpscq_push(req B) cq_wait_nr <= 0, return Only the sleeping task can run req B, so it is stuck in execve() until a signal happens to wake it. An exiting task doesn't even get that. Arm the count again once the task state is set and before the work list is checked, for the rings whose local work this task is the one to run.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 7.2.14, 7.3.2 or 7.4-rc1.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 7.2.14, 7.3.2, 7.4-rc1
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
- 2026-11-03 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99253
- 2026-11-03 Alias added: GHSA-c86r-6x5c-x35m
- 2026-11-03 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@76a82c666abf155ad52d5f41043eac77dd3e41d8 · CNA
- 2026-11-03 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-04 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-04 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Fix available: Linux/Linux@58ddf0ec707093206a5fe814581ec5aefac8b08a, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-06 1 new reference · CNA
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99253 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99253 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-c86r-6x5c-x35m · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99253 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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