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Unscored CVE-2026-53125 EUVD-2026-38993GHSA-9m96-3qwq-4728

md: fix array_state=clear sysfs deadlock

Published Jun 24, 2026 · Updated Nov 6, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux 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-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-7.0 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-7.0 Package: linux-azure-nvidia-6.14 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-7.0 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-7.0 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime 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-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.17 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-7.0 Package: linux-nvidia-bos 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-oem-7.0 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-7.0 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-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-7.0 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

md: fix array_state=clear sysfs deadlock

When "clear" is written to array_state, md_attr_store() breaks sysfs
active protection so the array can delete itself from its own sysfs
store method.

However, md_attr_store() currently drops the mddev reference before
calling sysfs_unbreak_active_protection(). Once do_md_stop(..., 0)
has made the mddev eligible for delayed deletion, the temporary
kobject reference taken by sysfs_break_active_protection() can become
the last kobject reference protecting the md kobject.

That allows sysfs_unbreak_active_protection() to drop the last
kobject reference from the current sysfs writer context. kobject
teardown then recurses into kernfs removal while the current sysfs
node is still being unwound, and lockdep reports recursive locking on
kn->active with kernfs_drain() in the call chain.

Reproducer on an existing level:
1. Create an md0 linear array and activate it:
mknod /dev/md0 b 9 0
echo none > /sys/block/md0/md/metadata_version
echo linear > /sys/block/md0/md/level
echo 1 > /sys/block/md0/md/raid_disks
echo "$(cat /sys/class/block/sdb/dev)" > /sys/block/md0/md/new_dev
echo "$(($(cat /sys/class/block/sdb/size) / 2))" > \
/sys/block/md0/md/dev-sdb/size
echo 0 > /sys/block/md0/md/dev-sdb/slot
echo active > /sys/block/md0/md/array_state
2. Wait briefly for the array to settle, then clear it:
sleep 2
echo clear > /sys/block/md0/md/array_state

The warning looks like:

WARNING: possible recursive locking detected
bash/588 is trying to acquire lock:
(kn->active#65) at __kernfs_remove+0x157/0x1d0
but task is already holding lock:
(kn->active#65) at sysfs_unbreak_active_protection+0x1f/0x40
...
Call Trace:
kernfs_drain
__kernfs_remove
kernfs_remove_by_name_ns
sysfs_remove_group
sysfs_remove_groups
__kobject_del
kobject_put
md_attr_store
kernfs_fop_write_iter
vfs_write
ksys_write

Restore active protection before mddev_put() so the extra sysfs
kobject reference is dropped while the mddev is still held alive. The
actual md kobject deletion is then deferred until after the sysfs
write path has fully returned.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 6.17 6.18.33

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 7.0.10-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux 7.0.0-28.28 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-aws +2 7.0.0-1009.9 USN-8618-1, USN-8603-1, USN-8568-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gcp +1 7.0.0-1008.8 USN-8593-1, USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gke 7.0.0-1003.4 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-ibm +1 7.0.0-1010.10 USN-8603-1, USN-8593-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-nvidia 7.0.0-1016.16 USN-8663-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-nvidia-bos 7.0.0-2016.16 USN-8664-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-raspi 7.0.0-1015.15 USN-8618-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-riscv +1 7.0.0-28.28.1 USN-8566-1
Ubuntu 25.10 linux +8 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-7.0 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1 USN-8728-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-7.0 7.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-7.0 +1 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1 USN-8728-3, USN-8728-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-7.0 7.0.0-28.28~24.04.1 USN-8569-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-7.0 7.0.0-1016.16~24.04.1 USN-8663-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +26 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-7.0 7.0.0-28.28.1~24.04.3 —
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)
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-realtime-6.14 +1 No fix yet —

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.18.33-63.124 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1866
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.18 +11 1:6.18.33-63.124.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1866

Oracle Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Oracle Linux 9 kernel-uek +34 6.12.0-205.92.4.2.el10uek ELSA-2026-500150

Advisories 14

References