CVE-2026-52991 (GCVE-0-2026-52991)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-06-24 16:29 – Updated: 2026-06-24 16:29
VLAI
Title
sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write
A potential race condition exists between pressure write and cgroup file
release regarding the priv member of struct kernfs_open_file, which
triggers the uaf reported in [1].
Consider the following scenario involving execution on two separate CPUs:
CPU0 CPU1
==== ====
vfs_rmdir()
kernfs_iop_rmdir()
cgroup_rmdir()
cgroup_kn_lock_live()
cgroup_destroy_locked()
cgroup_addrm_files()
cgroup_rm_file()
kernfs_remove_by_name()
kernfs_remove_by_name_ns()
vfs_write() __kernfs_remove()
new_sync_write() kernfs_drain()
kernfs_fop_write_iter() kernfs_drain_open_files()
cgroup_file_write() kernfs_release_file()
pressure_write() cgroup_file_release()
ctx = of->priv;
kfree(ctx);
of->priv = NULL;
cgroup_kn_unlock()
cgroup_kn_lock_live()
cgroup_get(cgrp)
cgroup_kn_unlock()
if (ctx->psi.trigger) // here, trigger uaf for ctx, that is of->priv
The cgroup_rmdir() is protected by the cgroup_mutex, it also safeguards
the memory deallocation of of->priv performed within cgroup_file_release().
However, the operations involving of->priv executed within pressure_write()
are not entirely covered by the protection of cgroup_mutex. Consequently,
if the code in pressure_write(), specifically the section handling the
ctx variable executes after cgroup_file_release() has completed, a uaf
vulnerability involving of->priv is triggered.
Therefore, the issue can be resolved by extending the scope of the
cgroup_mutex lock within pressure_write() to encompass all code paths
involving of->priv, thereby properly synchronizing the race condition
occurring between cgroup_file_release() and pressure_write().
And, if an live kn lock can be successfully acquired while executing
the pressure write operation, it indicates that the cgroup deletion
process has not yet reached its final stage; consequently, the priv
pointer within open_file cannot be NULL. Therefore, the operation to
retrieve the ctx value must be moved to a point *after* the live kn
lock has been successfully acquired.
In another situation, specifically after entering cgroup_kn_lock_live()
but before acquiring cgroup_mutex, there exists a different class of
race condition:
CPU0: write memory.pressure CPU1: write cgroup.pressure=0
=========================== =============================
kernfs_fop_write_iter()
kernfs_get_active_of(of)
pressure_write()
cgroup_kn_lock_live(memory.pressure)
cgroup_tryget(cgrp)
kernfs_break_active_protection(kn)
... blocks on cgroup_mutex
cgroup_pressure_write()
cgroup_kn_lock_live(cgroup.pressure)
cgroup_file_show(memory.pressure, false)
kernfs_show(false)
kernfs_drain_open_files()
cgroup_file_release(of)
kfree(ctx)
of->priv = NULL
cgroup_kn_unlock()
... acquires cgroup_mutex
ctx = of->priv; // may now be NULL
if (ctx->psi.trigger) // NULL dereference
Consequently, there is a possibility that of->priv is NULL, the pressure
write needs to check for this.
Now that the scope of the cgroup_mutex has been expanded, the original
explicit cgroup_get/put operations are no longer necessary, this is
because acquiring/releasing the live kn lock inherently executes a
cgroup get/put operation.
[1]
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011
Call Trace:
pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011
cgroup_file_write+0x36f/0x790 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:43
---truncated---
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
2 products
| Vendor | Product | Version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < 03dc070fa0fc3cb4068693f468ccd5f8a7e58282
(git)
Affected: 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < d4352c0709bfd38c752fccbde7fd72a82ac78f23 (git) Affected: 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 , < a5b98009f16d8a5fb4a8ff9a193f5735515c38fa (git) |
|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
5.2
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.2 (semver) Unaffected: 6.18.33 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.0.10 , ≤ 7.0.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.1 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix) |
{
"containers": {
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "03dc070fa0fc3cb4068693f468ccd5f8a7e58282",
"status": "affected",
"version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "d4352c0709bfd38c752fccbde7fd72a82ac78f23",
"status": "affected",
"version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "a5b98009f16d8a5fb4a8ff9a193f5735515c38fa",
"status": "affected",
"version": "0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5",
"versionType": "git"
}
]
},
{
"defaultStatus": "affected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "5.2"
},
{
"lessThan": "5.2",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.33",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.0.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.0.10",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.1",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.18.33",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.0.10",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.1",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.2",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nsched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write\n\nA potential race condition exists between pressure write and cgroup file\nrelease regarding the priv member of struct kernfs_open_file, which\ntriggers the uaf reported in [1].\n\nConsider the following scenario involving execution on two separate CPUs:\n\n CPU0\t\t\t\t\tCPU1\n ====\t\t\t\t\t====\n\t\t\t\t\tvfs_rmdir()\n\t\t\t\t\tkernfs_iop_rmdir()\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_rmdir()\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_kn_lock_live()\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_destroy_locked()\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_addrm_files()\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_rm_file()\n\t\t\t\t\tkernfs_remove_by_name()\n\t\t\t\t\tkernfs_remove_by_name_ns()\n vfs_write()\t\t\t\t__kernfs_remove()\n new_sync_write()\t\t\tkernfs_drain()\n kernfs_fop_write_iter()\t\tkernfs_drain_open_files()\n cgroup_file_write()\t\t\tkernfs_release_file()\n pressure_write()\t\t\tcgroup_file_release()\n ctx = of-\u003epriv;\n\t\t\t\t\tkfree(ctx);\n \t\t\t\t\tof-\u003epriv = NULL;\n\t\t\t\t\tcgroup_kn_unlock()\n cgroup_kn_lock_live()\n cgroup_get(cgrp)\n cgroup_kn_unlock()\n if (ctx-\u003epsi.trigger) // here, trigger uaf for ctx, that is of-\u003epriv\n\nThe cgroup_rmdir() is protected by the cgroup_mutex, it also safeguards\nthe memory deallocation of of-\u003epriv performed within cgroup_file_release().\nHowever, the operations involving of-\u003epriv executed within pressure_write()\nare not entirely covered by the protection of cgroup_mutex. Consequently,\nif the code in pressure_write(), specifically the section handling the\nctx variable executes after cgroup_file_release() has completed, a uaf\nvulnerability involving of-\u003epriv is triggered.\n\nTherefore, the issue can be resolved by extending the scope of the\ncgroup_mutex lock within pressure_write() to encompass all code paths\ninvolving of-\u003epriv, thereby properly synchronizing the race condition\noccurring between cgroup_file_release() and pressure_write().\n\nAnd, if an live kn lock can be successfully acquired while executing\nthe pressure write operation, it indicates that the cgroup deletion\nprocess has not yet reached its final stage; consequently, the priv\npointer within open_file cannot be NULL. Therefore, the operation to\nretrieve the ctx value must be moved to a point *after* the live kn\nlock has been successfully acquired.\n\nIn another situation, specifically after entering cgroup_kn_lock_live()\nbut before acquiring cgroup_mutex, there exists a different class of\nrace condition:\n\nCPU0: write memory.pressure CPU1: write cgroup.pressure=0\n===========================\t\t =============================\n\nkernfs_fop_write_iter()\n kernfs_get_active_of(of)\n pressure_write()\n cgroup_kn_lock_live(memory.pressure)\n cgroup_tryget(cgrp)\n kernfs_break_active_protection(kn)\n ... blocks on cgroup_mutex\n\n \t cgroup_pressure_write()\n \t cgroup_kn_lock_live(cgroup.pressure)\n \t cgroup_file_show(memory.pressure, false)\n \t kernfs_show(false)\n \t kernfs_drain_open_files()\n \t cgroup_file_release(of)\n \t kfree(ctx)\n \t of-\u003epriv = NULL\n \t cgroup_kn_unlock()\n\n ... acquires cgroup_mutex\n ctx = of-\u003epriv; // may now be NULL\n if (ctx-\u003epsi.trigger) // NULL dereference\n\nConsequently, there is a possibility that of-\u003epriv is NULL, the pressure\nwrite needs to check for this.\n\nNow that the scope of the cgroup_mutex has been expanded, the original\nexplicit cgroup_get/put operations are no longer necessary, this is\nbecause acquiring/releasing the live kn lock inherently executes a\ncgroup get/put operation.\n\n[1]\nBUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011\nCall Trace:\n pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011\n cgroup_file_write+0x36f/0x790 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:43\n---truncated---"
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-06-24T16:29:04.810Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03dc070fa0fc3cb4068693f468ccd5f8a7e58282"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d4352c0709bfd38c752fccbde7fd72a82ac78f23"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5b98009f16d8a5fb4a8ff9a193f5735515c38fa"
}
],
"title": "sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-52991",
"datePublished": "2026-06-24T16:29:04.810Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-06-09T07:44:35.377Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-06-24T16:29:04.810Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2"
}
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Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
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.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
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