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Unscored CVE-2026-23394 EUVD-2026-15396GHSA-p5pc-67g7-qcv2

af_unix: Give up GC if MSG_PEEK intervened.

Published Mar 25, 2026 · Updated Aug 19, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: kernel Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.14 Package: linux-aws-6.17 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-aws-6.8 Package: linux-aws-fips Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.14 Package: linux-azure-6.17 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-6.8 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.14 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.8 Package: linux-azure-fips Package: linux-azure-nvidia-6.14 Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.14 Package: linux-gcp-6.17 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gcp-6.8 Package: linux-gcp-fips Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.14 Package: linux-hwe-6.17 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-6.8 Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.17 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia-lowlatency Package: linux-nvidia-tegra Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.14 Package: linux-oem-6.17 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.14 Package: linux-oracle-6.17 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-oracle-6.8 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 Package: linux-realtime-6.17 Package: linux-realtime-6.8 Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.17 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-riscv-6.8 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Azure Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

af_unix: Give up GC if MSG_PEEK intervened.

Igor Ushakov reported that GC purged the receive queue of
an alive socket due to a race with MSG_PEEK with a nice repro.

This is the exact same issue previously fixed by commit
cbcf01128d0a ("af_unix: fix garbage collect vs MSG_PEEK").

After GC was replaced with the current algorithm, the cited
commit removed the locking dance in unix_peek_fds() and
reintroduced the same issue.

The problem is that MSG_PEEK bumps a file refcount without
interacting with GC.

Consider an SCC containing sk-A and sk-B, where sk-A is
close()d but can be recv()ed via sk-B.

The bad thing happens if sk-A is recv()ed with MSG_PEEK from
sk-B and sk-B is close()d while GC is checking unix_vertex_dead()
for sk-A and sk-B.

GC thread User thread
--------- -----------
unix_vertex_dead(sk-A)
-> true <------.
\
`------ recv(sk-B, MSG_PEEK)
invalidate !! -> sk-A's file refcount : 1 -> 2

close(sk-B)
-> sk-B's file refcount : 2 -> 1
unix_vertex_dead(sk-B)
-> true

Initially, sk-A's file refcount is 1 by the inflight fd in sk-B
recvq. GC thinks sk-A is dead because the file refcount is the
same as the number of its inflight fds.

However, sk-A's file refcount is bumped silently by MSG_PEEK,
which invalidates the previous evaluation.

At this moment, sk-B's file refcount is 2; one by the open fd,
and one by the inflight fd in sk-A. The subsequent close()
releases one refcount by the former.

Finally, GC incorrectly concludes that both sk-A and sk-B are dead.

One option is to restore the locking dance in unix_peek_fds(),
but we can resolve this more elegantly thanks to the new algorithm.

The point is that the issue does not occur without the subsequent
close() and we actually do not need to synchronise MSG_PEEK with
the dead SCC detection.

When the issue occurs, close() and GC touch the same file refcount.
If GC sees the refcount being decremented by close(), it can just
give up garbage-collecting the SCC.

Therefore, we only need to signal the race during MSG_PEEK with
a proper memory barrier to make it visible to the GC.

Let's use seqcount_t to notify GC when MSG_PEEK occurs and let
it defer the SCC to the next run.

This way no locking is needed on the MSG_PEEK side, and we can
avoid imposing a penalty on every MSG_PEEK unnecessarily.

Note that we can retry within unix_scc_dead() if MSG_PEEK is
detected, but we do not do so to avoid hung task splat from
abusive MSG_PEEK calls.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 6.1.141 – < 6.1.183, 6.6.93 – < 6.6.142, 6.10 6.1.183

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.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 6.19.10-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.12.94-1 —
Debian 12 linux 6.1.187-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS linux-bluefield 6.8.0-1022.26 —
Ubuntu 25.10 linux 6.17.0-29.29 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-aws +1 6.17.0-1015.15 USN-8310-1, USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-azure-fde No fix yet —
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-gcp 6.17.0-1018.19 USN-8374-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-oracle 6.17.0-1014.14 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-raspi 6.17.0-1017.17 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-realtime 6.17.0-1013.15 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-riscv 6.17.0-29.29.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux 6.8.0-117.117 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws 6.8.0-1055.58 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws-6.17 6.17.0-1017.17~24.04.1 USN-8374-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure 6.8.0-1056.62 USN-8278-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-6.17 6.17.0-1015.15~24.04.1 USN-8310-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 6.8.0-1058.65 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp 6.8.0-1058.61 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.17 6.17.0-1018.19~24.04.1 USN-8374-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gke 6.8.0-1054.60 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gkeop 6.8.0-1041.44 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.17 6.17.0-29.29~24.04.1 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-ibm 6.8.0-1055.56 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-lowlatency 6.8.0-117.117.1 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia 6.8.0-1054.57 USN-8289-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-6.17 6.17.0-1026.26 USN-8508-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-lowlatency 6.8.0-1054.57.1 USN-8289-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 6.8.0-1024.24 USN-8296-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oem-6.17 6.17.0-1023.23 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle 6.8.0-1054.55 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle-6.17 6.17.0-1014.14~24.04.1 USN-8277-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi 6.8.0-1056.60 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +18 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-6.17 6.17.0-29.29.1~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-xilinx 6.8.0-1032.33 USN-8499-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws-6.8 6.8.0-1057.60~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-6.8 6.8.0-1059.65~22.04.1 USN-8440-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-6.8 6.8.0-1058.65~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.8 6.8.0-1060.63~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-124.124~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm-6.8 6.8.0-1055.56~22.04.1 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-117.117.1~22.04.1 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-6.8 6.8.0-1054.57~22.04.1 USN-8289-2
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle-6.8 6.8.0-1054.55~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv-6.8 6.8.0-117.117~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
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-raspi-realtime 6.8.0-2045.46 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime 6.8.1-1051.52 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.14 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.17 6.17.0-1013.15~24.04.1 USN-8277-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.8 6.8.1-1051.52~22.04.1 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-aws-fips 6.8.0-1055.58+fips1 USN-8278-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fips 6.8.0-1059.65+fips1 USN-8393-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-fips 6.8.0-116.116+fips1 USN-8296-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-fips 6.8.0-1058.61+fips1 USN-8278-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.36.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22835-1
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.36.1.160000.2.17 SUSE-SU-2026:22835-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.36.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22835-1, SUSE-SU-2026:22812-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.36.1.160000.2.17 SUSE-SU-2026:22835-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.36.1.160000.2.17 SUSE-SU-2026:22769-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-rt +5 6.12.0-160000.36.1 SUSE-SU-2026:22769-1, SUSE-SU-2026:22742-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Leap 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.36.1.160000.2.17 openSUSE-SU-2026:21388-1
openSUSE Leap 16.0 kernel-rt +11 6.12.0-160000.36.1 openSUSE-SU-2026:21388-1

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.18.25-55.108 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1693
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.18 +11 1:6.18.25-55.108.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1693

Azure Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Azure Linux 3 kernel 6.6.142.1-1 —

Advisories 21

References