Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs/resctrl: Prevent use-after-free in rdtgroup_kn_put()
A struct rdtgroup is reference counted via rdtgroup::waitcount. Callers that
need the structure to remain valid across a sleep (while waiting on acquiring
rdtgroup_mutex) take a reference with rdtgroup_kn_get() and release it with
rdtgroup_kn_put().
The release path is intended to serve as the fallback freer: if the count
drops to zero and the group has already been marked RDT_DELETED,
rdtgroup_kn_put() frees the structure.
The bulk teardown paths free_all_child_rdtgrp() and rmdir_all_sub() resulting
from a resctrl directory remove or resctrl fs unmount act as the primary
freer: they hold rdtgroup_mutex and free each rdtgroup whose waitcount is
zero, otherwise they set RDT_DELETED and leave the freeing to the last waiter.
These two freers race. rdtgroup_kn_put() commits waitcount == 0 with
atomic_dec_and_test() outside rdtgroup_mutex, then reads rdtgroup::flags.
Between those two operations a concurrent caller of free_all_child_rdtgrp()
or rmdir_all_sub() (which holds the mutex) can observe waitcount == 0 via
atomic_read(), call rdtgroup_remove(), and kfree() the structure.
The subsequent read of rdtgroup::flags in rdtgroup_kn_put() is then
a use-after-free, and the structure may even be freed twice if the freed
memory happens to satisfy the RDT_DELETED flag check.
Replace the bare atomic_dec_and_test() with atomic_dec_and_mutex_lock() so
that the decrement-to-zero takes rdtgroup_mutex before the count becomes
globally visible. The inspection of rdtgroup::flags then runs under the same
mutex held by the bulk freers, making the two paths mutually exclusive.
The common case where the count does not reach zero remains lock-free. Defer
kernfs_unbreak_active_protection() until after the mutex is dropped since
kernfs active protections functionally wrap rdtgroup_mutex. Remove resource
group, which in turn drops its kernfs reference, after kernfs protection is
restored.
[ bp: Split the commit messsages into smaller, easier-parseable paragraphs. ]
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.14.170 – < 4.15, 4.19.102 – < 4.20, 5.4.18 – < 5.5, 5.5.2 – < 5.6, 5.6 | 4.15 |
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 | 7.2.6-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.12.115-2 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | linux-6.12 | 6.12.115-2~deb12u1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux | 7.0.0-42.42 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-aws | 7.0.0-1016.17 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure | 7.0.0-1020.21 | USN-9019-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 7.0.0-1019.19 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 7.0.0-1016.18 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gke | 7.0.0-1010.11 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 7.0.0-1017.17 | USN-8960-1, USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-nvidia +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 7.0.0-1015.16 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 7.0.0-1023.23 | USN-9021-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 7.0.0-43.43.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-riscv | 7.0.0-42.42.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux +46 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-7.0 | 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-hwe-7.0 | 7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle-7.0 | 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv-7.0 | 7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +59 | No fix yet | — |
Show 16 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime +2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +21 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux-gcp +4 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux-azure | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | kernel-source | 7.2.8-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11893-1 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | kernel | 6.6.161.1-1 | — |
Advisories 7
- USN-9021-1 linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-3444 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9020-1 linux-aws-7.0, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-7.0, linux-gcp-7.0, linux-gke, linux-oracle-7.0, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-8959-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp, linux-hwe-7.0, linux-ibm, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9019-1 linux-azure vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-8960-1 linux-oem-7.0 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11893-1 kernel-devel-7.2.8-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Sep 29, 2026
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/906b3044dbf7c38cc411f7cf457c811363161e3b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/971b40e3ca1279ca4917889e0195d33b66d071a4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/828ff461c136b95d13b8d712c0a7a06a640e313a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae69f936e8ffed553d899ba4c02f8a7461a89e54
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c593c62c1499665baebbb41b70e2c9b7e947b86
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5bcf539484d2d604c2f2330e09487ea090b21c7