sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write

MITRE NVD CVE.ORG JSON API

Summary

CVECVE-2026-52991
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-06-24 17:17:09 UTC
Updated2026-07-15 01:16:25 UTC
DescriptionIn 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---

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 7 HIGH from ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS: 0.001040000 probability, percentile 0.012160000 (date 2026-07-13)

Problem Types: CWE-362 | CWE-367 | CWE-367 Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1ADPCVSS7HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67Secondary7.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.10b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46cSecondary7HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1CNADECLARED7.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Linux Linux Kernel All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 03dc070fa0fc3cb4068693f468ccd5f8a7e58282 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 d4352c0709bfd38c752fccbde7fd72a82ac78f23 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 0e94682b73bfa6c44c98af7a26771c9c08c055d5 a5b98009f16d8a5fb4a8ff9a193f5735515c38fa git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.2 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.2 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.33 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.0.10 7.0.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.1 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Not specified Not specified
ADP Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Not specified Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/d4352c0709bfd38c752fccbde7fd72a82ac78f23 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52991 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c access.redhat.com Third Party Advisory
security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-52991.json 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c security.access.redhat.com Third Party Advisory
git.kernel.org/stable/c/03dc070fa0fc3cb4068693f468ccd5f8a7e58282 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c bugzilla.redhat.com Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5b98009f16d8a5fb4a8ff9a193f5735515c38fa 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
CVE Program record CVE.ORG www.cve.org canonical
NVD vulnerability detail NVD nvd.nist.gov canonical, analysis

Additional Advisory Data

SourceTimeEvent
ADP2026-06-24T00:00:00.000ZReported to Red Hat.
ADP2026-06-24T00:00:00.000ZMade public.

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