Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
watch_queue: Fix note pool publication race in watch_queue_set_size()
There is a race between watch_queue_set_size() and post_one_notification().
watch_queue_set_size() publishes wqueue->notes, notes_bitmap, nr_pages and
nr_notes with plain stores, and post_one_notification() reads them with
plain loads under a different lock, so nothing orders the four stores
against the poster's loads: depending on the build, notes can be stored
last (gcc 14 on x86-64 does this). Since keyctl_watch_key() lets a watch
attach to a queue before it is sized, post_one_notification() can already
be running on another CPU at that moment: it reads nr_notes > 0, passes
its bounds check, and then reads notes while it is still NULL,
dereferencing notes[0].
An unprivileged user triggers this reliably by watching one of its own
keys through a notification pipe and racing ioctl(IOC_WATCH_QUEUE_SET_SIZE)
on that pipe against keyctl(KEYCTL_SETPERM) on the key from another CPU,
triggering:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
RIP: 0010:post_one_notification.isra.0+0xa2/0x1e0
Call Trace:
__post_watch_notification+0x148/0x180
keyctl_setperm_key+0x119/0x130
do_syscall_64+0x108/0x4c0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt
Fix this by publishing nr_notes last with smp_store_release(), and by
reading it once with smp_load_acquire() in post_one_notification() before
the bitmap and the page array are touched. A poster that observes a
non-zero nr_notes then also observes the pool behind it; one that observes
zero drops the notification as before.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.8 | 5.10.273 |
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 | 7.2.13-1 | — |
| 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 26.10 | linux | 7.3.0-10.10 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-aws +4 | 7.3.0-1004.4 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-azure-fde | 7.3.0-1004.5 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux-riscv +1 | 7.3.0-10.10.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux +52 | No fix yet | — |
Show 10 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +59 | 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 | — |
| 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-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-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 +10 | No fix yet | — |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | kernel | 6.6.161.1-1 | — |
Advisories 1
- WID-SEC-2026-4224 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen nicht spezifizierten Angriff BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 12, 2026
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2137d487b25eefa862be70de489b64f4c679fe1f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aaa6c1a1b61aae332d6e7e0083140b86ea51e14
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b20867d80e7e91fb7db531f34035d91591ba405
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da52e5fcb2cae6acdc0d5722ff83499f8232b9d1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f94c45f83e688e41dfe1b3a589806a0a25567260
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/811fb6d0b07605e8e8d93bde8748be4b3028809a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e73a6754457ffed8399b835552013b9363e51d1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e531d62f1f8834faf7a4eed0d41105cf6570a8f