Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sched/eevdf: Fix se->slice being set to U64_MAX and resulting crash
There is a code path in dequeue_entities() that can set the slice of a
sched_entity to U64_MAX, which sometimes results in a crash.
The offending case is when dequeue_entities() is called to dequeue a
delayed group entity, and then the entity's parent's dequeue is delayed.
In that case:
1. In the if (entity_is_task(se)) else block at the beginning of
dequeue_entities(), slice is set to
cfs_rq_min_slice(group_cfs_rq(se)). If the entity was delayed, then
it has no queued tasks, so cfs_rq_min_slice() returns U64_MAX.
2. The first for_each_sched_entity() loop dequeues the entity.
3. If the entity was its parent's only child, then the next iteration
tries to dequeue the parent.
4. If the parent's dequeue needs to be delayed, then it breaks from the
first for_each_sched_entity() loop _without updating slice_.
5. The second for_each_sched_entity() loop sets the parent's ->slice to
the saved slice, which is still U64_MAX.
This throws off subsequent calculations with potentially catastrophic
results. A manifestation we saw in production was:
6. In update_entity_lag(), se->slice is used to calculate limit, which
ends up as a huge negative number.
7. limit is used in se->vlag = clamp(vlag, -limit, limit). Because limit
is negative, vlag > limit, so se->vlag is set to the same huge
negative number.
8. In place_entity(), se->vlag is scaled, which overflows and results in
another huge (positive or negative) number.
9. The adjusted lag is subtracted from se->vruntime, which increases or
decreases se->vruntime by a huge number.
10. pick_eevdf() calls entity_eligible()/vruntime_eligible(), which
incorrectly returns false because the vruntime is so far from the
other vruntimes on the queue, causing the
(vruntime - cfs_rq->min_vruntime) * load calulation to overflow.
11. Nothing appears to be eligible, so pick_eevdf() returns NULL.
12. pick_next_entity() tries to dereference the return value of
pick_eevdf() and crashes.
Dumping the cfs_rq states from the core dumps with drgn showed tell-tale
huge vruntime ranges and bogus vlag values, and I also traced se->slice
being set to U64_MAX on live systems (which was usually "benign" since
the rest of the runqueue needed to be in a particular state to crash).
Fix it in dequeue_entities() by always setting slice from the first
non-empty cfs_rq.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.12 | 6.12.29 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.12.29-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.12.29-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 25.10 | linux-azure-fde | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.04 | linux | 6.14.0-22.22 | USN-7594-1 |
| Ubuntu 25.04 | linux-aws +3 | 6.14.0-1007.7 | USN-7594-3, USN-7594-2, USN-7594-1 |
| Ubuntu 25.04 | linux-gcp | 6.14.0-1008.8 | USN-7594-1 |
| Ubuntu 25.04 | linux-realtime | 6.14.0-1004.4 | USN-7594-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.14 | 6.14.0-1011.11~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 | 6.14.0-1010.10~24.04.1 | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 10 | rv +76 | 6.12.0-124.8.1.el10_1 | RHSA-2025:20095 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 16.0 | kernel-64kb +7 | 6.12.0-160000.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1 |
| SLES for SAP 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.6.1.160000.2.4 | SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1 |
| SLES 16.0 | kernel-64kb +7 | 6.12.0-160000.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2025:21179-1, SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1 |
| SLES 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.6.1.160000.2.4 | SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.2 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.6.1.160000.2.4 | SUSE-SU-2025:21074-1 |
| SLE Micro 6.2 | kernel-rt +5 | 6.12.0-160000.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:20560-1, SUSE-SU-2025:21074-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | kernel-default-base | 6.12.0-160000.6.1.160000.2.4 | openSUSE-SU-2025:20081-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | kernel-rt +10 | 6.12.0-160000.6.1 | openSUSE-SU-2025:20081-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | bpftool +14 | 6.12.29-33.102.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2025-994 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.12.29-33.102 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2025-994 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 10 | kernel-uek +34 | 6.12.0-100.28.2.el10uek | ELSA-2025-20371 |
| Oracle Linux 9 | kernel-uek +34 | 6.12.0-101.33.4.3.el10uek | ELSA-2025-20530, ELSA-2025-20480 |
Advisories 14
- RHSA-2025:20095 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 13, 2026
- WID-SEC-2025-0975 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:20560-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2025:20081-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:21179-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:21139-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2025:21074-1 Security update for the Linux Kernel SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Mar 23, 2026
- USN-7594-2 linux-azure vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 4, 2026
- USN-7594-1 linux, linux-gcp, linux-raspi, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 4, 2026
- USN-7594-3 linux-aws, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 4, 2026
- ALAS2023-2025-994 Important: kernel6.12 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Aug 26, 2025
- ELSA-2025-20530 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Aug 18, 2025
- ELSA-2025-20480 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jul 17, 2025
- ELSA-2025-20371 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 10) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jun 26, 2025