CVE-2026-10681 (GCVE-0-2026-10681)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-07-25 13:23 – Updated: 2026-07-25 13:23
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
SMP race in `thread_idx_alloc()` lets concurrent `k_object_alloc(K_OBJ_THREAD)` callers share a kernel-object permission slot
Summary
In Zephyr's userspace dynamic-objects subsystem, thread_idx_alloc() in kernel/userspace/userspace.c allocated a new thread permission index from the global _thread_idx_map[] bitmap without holding lists_lock.
On SMP systems, two user-mode threads invoking the k_object_alloc(K_OBJ_THREAD) syscall concurrently can both observe the same low free bit, perform the same non-atomic RMW to clear it, and return the identical tidx.
The two newly created K_OBJ_THREAD objects are then assigned the same thread_id, so the two user threads alias a single bit position in every kernel object's perms[] bitfield: any subsequent grant of access on a kernel object to one thread is implicitly a grant to the other, defeating userspace ACL isolation. A secondary lost-update window between the unlocked &=~BIT() in alloc and the locked |= BIT() in thread_idx_free() can also leak entries from the thread-index pool.
The defect is reachable from any user-mode thread via the unrestricted __syscall k_object_alloc and is gated on CONFIG_USERSPACE, CONFIG_DYNAMIC_OBJECTS, and CONFIG_SMP. The flaw was introduced when the per-thread permission index was added in 2018 and is present in every release up to and including v4.4.0. Fixed by holding lists_lock across the bitmap RMW and the permissions clear (and inlining the obj_list traversal that previously took the lock itself).
Severity
6.5 (Medium)
CWE
- CWE-362 - race
Assigner
References
2 references
Impacted products
1 product
| Vendor | Product | Version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| zephyrproject | zephyr |
Affected:
2.0.0 , < 4.5.0
(semver)
|
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}
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"description": "race",
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"providerMetadata": {
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{
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"url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-j693-5rh5-8g8h"
}
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"title": "SMP race in `thread_idx_alloc()` lets concurrent `k_object_alloc(K_OBJ_THREAD)` callers share a kernel-object permission slot",
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"cveId": "CVE-2026-10681",
"datePublished": "2026-07-25T13:23:07.028Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-06-02T15:26:11.951Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-07-25T13:23:07.028Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
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"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
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"cve": "CVE-2026-10681",
"date": "2026-07-26",
"epss": "0.00079",
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"nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2026-10681\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\",\"published\":\"2026-07-25T14:16:28.957\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-07-25T14:16:28.957\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Received\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"In Zephyr\u0027s userspace dynamic-objects subsystem, thread_idx_alloc() in kernel/userspace/userspace.c allocated a new thread permission index from the global _thread_idx_map[] bitmap without holding lists_lock.\\n\\nOn SMP systems, two user-mode threads invoking the k_object_alloc(K_OBJ_THREAD) syscall concurrently can both observe the same low free bit, perform the same non-atomic RMW to clear it, and return the identical tidx.\\n\\nThe two newly created K_OBJ_THREAD objects are then assigned the same thread_id, so the two user threads alias a single bit position in every kernel object\u0027s perms[] bitfield: any subsequent grant of access on a kernel object to one thread is implicitly a grant to the other, defeating userspace ACL isolation. A secondary lost-update window between the unlocked \u0026=~BIT() in alloc and the locked |= BIT() in thread_idx_free() can also leak entries from the thread-index pool.\\n\\nThe defect is reachable from any user-mode thread via the unrestricted __syscall k_object_alloc and is gated on CONFIG_USERSPACE, CONFIG_DYNAMIC_OBJECTS, and CONFIG_SMP. The flaw was introduced when the per-thread permission index was added in 2018 and is present in every release up to and including v4.4.0. Fixed by holding lists_lock across the bitmap RMW and the permissions clear (and inlining the obj_list traversal that previously took the lock itself).\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"zephyrproject\",\"product\":\"zephyr\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"collectionURL\":\"https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr\",\"packageName\":\"zephyr\",\"programFiles\":[\"kernel/userspace/userspace.c\"],\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"2.0.0\",\"lessThan\":\"4.5.0\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L\",\"baseScore\":6.5,\"baseSeverity\":\"MEDIUM\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"HIGH\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"LOW\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"LOW\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.0,\"impactScore\":5.5}]},\"weaknesses\":[{\"source\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"description\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"CWE-362\"}]}],\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/862ea2fbbeb2ccdf8ff994b03e2e3b4405f2c37d\",\"source\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\"},{\"url\":\"https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-j693-5rh5-8g8h\",\"source\":\"vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org\"}]}}"
}
}
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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
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vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
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