FKIE_CVE-2026-46242
Vulnerability from fkie_nvd - Published: 2026-05-30 13:16 - Updated: 2026-06-17 10:53
Severity
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
eventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF
ep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file->f_ep under
file->f_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section
(is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock).
A concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in
that window observed the transient NULL, skipped
eventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op->release / file_free().
For the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op->release is
ep_eventpoll_release() -> ep_clear_and_put() -> ep_free(), which
kfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded ->refs
hlist_head is exactly where epi->fllink.pprev points, so the
subsequent hlist_del_rcu()'s "*pprev = next" scribbles into freed
kmalloc-192 memory.
In addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot
backing @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() --
reinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still
nominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable
kmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache.
Pin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the
critical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file
cannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and
transitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the
hlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs.
If the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its
__fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep,
that path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into
eventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep->mtx until the waiter
side's ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi's share of
ep->refcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test()
in ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under
eventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up
there.
A successful pin also proves we are not racing
eventpoll_release_file() on this epi, so drop the now-redundant
re-check of epi->dying under f_lock. The cheap lockless
READ_ONCE(epi->dying) fast-path bailout stays.
References
Impacted products
| Vendor | Product | Version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
{
"affected": [
{
"affectedData": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"fs/eventpoll.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "ef4ca02e95363e78977ca04340d44fe3b4b2b81f",
"status": "affected",
"version": "58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "ced39b6a8062bac5c18a1c3df85634107eb8664a",
"status": "affected",
"version": "58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "a6dc643c69311677c574a0f17a3f4d66a5f3744b",
"status": "affected",
"version": "58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "f2451def095c1743adcfcb0cb5dadc86034e162a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "a1f93804449d13f97dabd4b996817de4bf1ed67a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "5.16",
"status": "affected",
"version": "5.15.209",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThan": "6.2",
"status": "affected",
"version": "6.1.175",
"versionType": "semver"
}
]
},
{
"defaultStatus": "affected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"fs/eventpoll.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "6.4"
},
{
"lessThan": "6.4",
"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"
}
]
}
],
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"configurations": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "DA466B5F-044E-47F0-A6CE-AB474F8A9361",
"versionEndExcluding": "5.16",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.15.209",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "67892698-2698-487E-B4D2-EFCD2D933D19",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.2",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.1.175",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "51601BBF-BF40-48AF-8132-2582D7E56D71",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.18.33",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.4",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "A13475D2-59BF-4716-94B5-7C1D239A2CF4",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.0.10",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.19",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\neventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF\n\nep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file-\u003ef_ep under\nfile-\u003ef_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section\n(is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock).\nA concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in\nthat window observed the transient NULL, skipped\neventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op-\u003erelease / file_free().\n\nFor the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op-\u003erelease is\nep_eventpoll_release() -\u003e ep_clear_and_put() -\u003e ep_free(), which\nkfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded -\u003erefs\nhlist_head is exactly where epi-\u003efllink.pprev points, so the\nsubsequent hlist_del_rcu()\u0027s \"*pprev = next\" scribbles into freed\nkmalloc-192 memory.\n\nIn addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot\nbacking @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() --\nreinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still\nnominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable\nkmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache.\n\nPin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the\ncritical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file\ncannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and\ntransitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the\nhlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs.\n\nIf the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its\n__fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep,\nthat path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into\neventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep-\u003emtx until the waiter\nside\u0027s ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi\u0027s share of\nep-\u003erefcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test()\nin ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under\neventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up\nthere.\n\nA successful pin also proves we are not racing\neventpoll_release_file() on this epi, so drop the now-redundant\nre-check of epi-\u003edying under f_lock. The cheap lockless\nREAD_ONCE(epi-\u003edying) fast-path bailout stays."
}
],
"id": "CVE-2026-46242",
"lastModified": "2026-06-17T10:53:23.777",
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"cvssData": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"baseScore": 7.8,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
"impactScore": 5.9,
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"type": "Secondary"
}
]
},
"published": "2026-05-30T13:16:21.980",
"references": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6dc643c69311677c574a0f17a3f4d66a5f3744b"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ced39b6a8062bac5c18a1c3df85634107eb8664a"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef4ca02e95363e78977ca04340d44fe3b4b2b81f"
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
"weaknesses": [
{
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-416"
}
],
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"type": "Primary"
}
]
}
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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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