Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix race in devmap on PREEMPT_RT
On PREEMPT_RT kernels, the per-CPU xdp_dev_bulk_queue (bq) can be
accessed concurrently by multiple preemptible tasks on the same CPU.
The original code assumes bq_enqueue() and __dev_flush() run atomically
with respect to each other on the same CPU, relying on
local_bh_disable() to prevent preemption. However, on PREEMPT_RT,
local_bh_disable() only calls migrate_disable() (when
PREEMPT_RT_NEEDS_BH_LOCK is not set) and does not disable
preemption, which allows CFS scheduling to preempt a task during
bq_xmit_all(), enabling another task on the same CPU to enter
bq_enqueue() and operate on the same per-CPU bq concurrently.
This leads to several races:
1. Double-free / use-after-free on bq->q[]: bq_xmit_all() snapshots
cnt = bq->count, then iterates bq->q[0..cnt-1] to transmit frames.
If preempted after the snapshot, a second task can call bq_enqueue()
-> bq_xmit_all() on the same bq, transmitting (and freeing) the
same frames. When the first task resumes, it operates on stale
pointers in bq->q[], causing use-after-free.
2. bq->count and bq->q[] corruption: concurrent bq_enqueue() modifying
bq->count and bq->q[] while bq_xmit_all() is reading them.
3. dev_rx/xdp_prog teardown race: __dev_flush() clears bq->dev_rx and
bq->xdp_prog after bq_xmit_all(). If preempted between
bq_xmit_all() return and bq->dev_rx = NULL, a preempting
bq_enqueue() sees dev_rx still set (non-NULL), skips adding bq to
the flush_list, and enqueues a frame. When __dev_flush() resumes,
it clears dev_rx and removes bq from the flush_list, orphaning the
newly enqueued frame.
4. __list_del_clearprev() on flush_node: similar to the cpumap race,
both tasks can call __list_del_clearprev() on the same flush_node,
the second dereferences the prev pointer already set to NULL.
The race between task A (__dev_flush -> bq_xmit_all) and task B
(bq_enqueue -> bq_xmit_all) on the same CPU:
Task A (xdp_do_flush) Task B (ndo_xdp_xmit redirect)
---------------------- --------------------------------
__dev_flush(flush_list)
bq_xmit_all(bq)
cnt = bq->count /* e.g. 16 */
/* start iterating bq->q[] */
<-- CFS preempts Task A -->
bq_enqueue(dev, xdpf)
bq->count == DEV_MAP_BULK_SIZE
bq_xmit_all(bq, 0)
cnt = bq->count /* same 16! */
ndo_xdp_xmit(bq->q[])
/* frames freed by driver */
bq->count = 0
<-- Task A resumes -->
ndo_xdp_xmit(bq->q[])
/* use-after-free: frames already freed! */
Fix this by adding a local_lock_t to xdp_dev_bulk_queue and acquiring
it in bq_enqueue() and __dev_flush(). These paths already run under
local_bh_disable(), so use local_lock_nested_bh() which on non-RT is
a pure annotation with no overhead, and on PREEMPT_RT provides a
per-CPU sleeping lock that serializes access to the bq.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.18 | 6.18.17 |
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 | 6.19.8-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 | No fix yet | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.18.20-20.229 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-1596 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf6.18 +14 | 1:6.18.20-20.229.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-1596 |
Advisories 2
- WID-SEC-2026-0861 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-1596 Important: kernel6.18 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jun 16, 2026