net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-98427 |
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Linux |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-10-14 14:17:54 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-10-19 10:18:49 UTC |
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call
The CoDel control law schedules the next drop one interval/sqrt(count)
after the previous drop, using the configured interval
(codel_params.interval). For very small intervals the scheduled step
rounds down to zero, so the dropping loop in codel_dequeue() never
advances and drains the entire backlog under the qdisc lock in one
call - an unprivileged user can trigger a soft lockup this way.
Fix in the shared codel code used by both codel and fq_codel:
1. Make the control-law step at least 1 tick so the dropping loop
always moves forward.
2. Cap the dropping loop at CODEL_MAX_DROPS_PER_DEQUEUE (256) drops
per codel_dequeue() call, resyncing drop_next to now when the cap
is hit: the catch-up owed to the loop grows with the idle gap and
the backlog, which no interval threshold can bound. This is a
deliberate behaviour change after long idle gaps.
The cap applies to fq_codel (4b549a2ef4be) and the mac80211 TXQ path
(fixed interval, cap only).
The target sojourn delay (codel_params.target) is not validated: it
does not feed the control law, so a sub-tick value is aggressive
rather than deadlock-prone.
Conditions to recreate the bug:
- tc qdisc add dev lo root handle 1: tbf rate 1kbit burst 2kb limit 1000000
- tc qdisc add dev lo parent 1:1 handle 10: codel interval 2us target 1ms noecn limit 1000000 (same for fq_codel)
- unpatched kernel: tc accepts it; a UDP flood under the 1kbit tbf
soft-lockups (watchdog: BUG: soft lockup) while one
codel_dequeue() call drops the backlog under the qdisc lock
- patched kernel: same setup, at most 256 drops per dequeue call,
no soft lockup
Testing: claim reproducer and interval 2us/3us variants run clean;
tdc qdisc category passes (see the selftests patch). |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 76e3cc126bb223013a6b9a0e2a51238d1ef2e409 bacd72289d34d8c05b7de5a12448b87b6dd93878 git |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 76e3cc126bb223013a6b9a0e2a51238d1ef2e409 7f4a5ec6258fd7c92633ec4b0493fc51166d9398 git |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 3.5 |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 3.5 semver |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 7.2.8 7.2.* semver |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 7.3 * original_commit_for_fix |
Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f4a5ec6258fd7c92633ec4b0493fc51166d9398 |
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
git.kernel.org |
|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/bacd72289d34d8c05b7de5a12448b87b6dd93878 |
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
git.kernel.org |
|
| CVE Program record |
CVE.ORG |
www.cve.org |
canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail |
NVD |
nvd.nist.gov |
canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.