CVE-2026-72068 — posix-cpu-timers: Use u64 multiplication in update_rlimit_cpu()

Affected: Linux

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

posix-cpu-timers: Use u64 multiplication in update_rlimit_cpu()

update_rlimit_cpu() converts the RLIMIT_CPU value to nanoseconds with

u64 nsecs = rlim_new * NSEC_PER_SEC;

On 32-bit kernels both rlim_new (unsigned long) and NSEC_PER_SEC (1000000000L) are 32-bit, so the multiplication is performed in unsigned long and truncated for rlim_new > 4 seconds before being widened to u64.

The same file already casts to u64 for the matching computation in check_process_timers():

u64 softns = (u64)soft * NSEC_PER_SEC;

As a result, the truncated value is installed into the CPUCLOCK_PROF expiry cache (nextevt), causing the process CPU timer to be programmed to fire prematurely for any RLIMIT_CPU soft limit >= 5 seconds. The actual SIGXCPU/SIGKILL decision in check_process_timers() already casts to u64 and is therefore correct, so limit enforcement is not broken; only the expiry-cache programming is wrong. Apply the same cast here so both paths convert rlim_cur identically.

64-bit kernels are unaffected.

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CVE-2026-72068 — posix-cpu-timers: Use u64 multiplication in update_rlimit_cpu()