{"api_version":"1","generated_at":"2026-09-25T12:40:15+00:00","cve":"CVE-2026-97903","urls":{"html":"https://cve.report/CVE-2026-97903","api":"https://cve.report/api/cve/CVE-2026-97903.json","docs":"https://cve.report/api","cve_org":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97903","nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97903"},"summary":{"title":"exit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nexit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid\n\nCommit 0a36bad01731 (\"release_task: kill the no longer needed\nget/put_pid(thread_pid)\") removed the reference around proc_flush_pid().\nIt assumed that free_pids(post.pids) at the end of release_task() would\nkeep thread_pid alive until then.\n\nThat assumption is wrong.  __change_pid() only records a detached PID in\npost.pids when pid_has_task() is false for every PIDTYPE.  If another task\nstill uses the exiting task's PID as its process group or session ID,\n__unhash_process() removes the exiting task's PIDTYPE_PID link but leaves\nthe PID out of post.pids.  release_task() therefore holds no reference to\nit after dropping tasklist_lock.\n\nThe other task can then remove the remaining PIDTYPE links.  Its\nfree_pids() call schedules delayed_put_pid(), and the RCU callback can free\nthe PID before the first release_task() reaches proc_flush_pid().\n\nAn unprivileged reproducer races wait4(-1) against setsid() to trigger this\nordering.  Three of three fresh v7.2 KASAN boots reported:\n\n    BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in\n    proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache+0x3e2/0x3f0\n    Read of size 8 by task h7_pid_reaper/1921\n\n    Call Trace:\n     proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache\n     release_task\n     wait_consider_task\n     __do_wait\n     do_wait\n     kernel_wait4\n\n    Freed by task 0:\n     kmem_cache_free\n     put_pid\n     delayed_put_pid\n     rcu_core\n\n    Last potentially related work creation:\n     __call_rcu_common\n     free_pids\n     ksys_setsid\n\nKASAN identified a 144-byte object from the pid cache and located the bad\nread 80 bytes into the freed object, matching pid->inodes.  With an\nexplicit reference, three of three fresh boots completed without a KASAN\nreport.  The concurrent RCU callback dropped its reference while\nproc_flush_pid() was protected, and the balancing put_pid() performed the\nfinal free afterward.\n\nTake a reference before __unhash_process() clears p->thread_pid and release\nit after proc_flush_pid() completes.\n\nA tested source reproducer is available privately on request.  No\ncontrolled read or write, information leak, or privilege escalation is\nclaimed.  The mainline patch applies directly to v6.19.y and newer;\nv6.16.y through v6.18.y need a context-adjusted backport.","state":"PUBLISHED","assigner":"Linux","published_at":"2026-09-25 11:17:17","updated_at":"2026-09-25 11:17:17"},"problem_types":[],"metrics":[],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdd812d0683dee14ead02c9eded568685e61b23f","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdd812d0683dee14ead02c9eded568685e61b23f","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96803a12e8ac15f0a1b4b151db59038f12304e58","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96803a12e8ac15f0a1b4b151db59038f12304e58","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcb0936862f2b653114d9bd582ca26990ef54a64","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcb0936862f2b653114d9bd582ca26990ef54a64","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97903","name":"CVE Program record","refsource":"CVE.ORG","tags":["canonical"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97903","name":"NVD vulnerability detail","refsource":"NVD","tags":["canonical","analysis"]}],"affected":[{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0 bcb0936862f2b653114d9bd582ca26990ef54a64 git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0 96803a12e8ac15f0a1b4b151db59038f12304e58 git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0 cdd812d0683dee14ead02c9eded568685e61b23f git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 6.16","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 6.16 semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 6.18.53 6.18.* semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.2.7 7.2.* semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.3-rc3 * original_commit_for_fix","platforms":[]}],"timeline":[],"solutions":[],"workarounds":[],"exploits":[],"credits":[],"nvd_cpes":[],"vendor_comments":[],"enrichments":{"kev":null,"epss":null,"legacy_qids":[]},"source_records":{"cve_program":{"containers":{"cna":{"affected":[{"defaultStatus":"unaffected","product":"Linux","programFiles":["kernel/exit.c"],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","vendor":"Linux","versions":[{"lessThan":"bcb0936862f2b653114d9bd582ca26990ef54a64","status":"affected","version":"0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0","versionType":"git"},{"lessThan":"96803a12e8ac15f0a1b4b151db59038f12304e58","status":"affected","version":"0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0","versionType":"git"},{"lessThan":"cdd812d0683dee14ead02c9eded568685e61b23f","status":"affected","version":"0a36bad01731e71568bdd365764d38b6bd576ab0","versionType":"git"}]},{"defaultStatus":"affected","product":"Linux","programFiles":["kernel/exit.c"],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","vendor":"Linux","versions":[{"status":"affected","version":"6.16"},{"lessThan":"6.16","status":"unaffected","version":"0","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","status":"unaffected","version":"6.18.53","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.2.7","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.3-rc3","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}]}],"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"cpeMatch":[{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"6.18.53","versionStartIncluding":"6.16","vulnerable":true},{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.2.7","versionStartIncluding":"6.16","vulnerable":true},{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.3-rc3","versionStartIncluding":"6.16","vulnerable":true}],"negate":false,"operator":"OR"}]}],"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nexit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid\n\nCommit 0a36bad01731 (\"release_task: kill the no longer needed\nget/put_pid(thread_pid)\") removed the reference around proc_flush_pid().\nIt assumed that free_pids(post.pids) at the end of release_task() would\nkeep thread_pid alive until then.\n\nThat assumption is wrong.  __change_pid() only records a detached PID in\npost.pids when pid_has_task() is false for every PIDTYPE.  If another task\nstill uses the exiting task's PID as its process group or session ID,\n__unhash_process() removes the exiting task's PIDTYPE_PID link but leaves\nthe PID out of post.pids.  release_task() therefore holds no reference to\nit after dropping tasklist_lock.\n\nThe other task can then remove the remaining PIDTYPE links.  Its\nfree_pids() call schedules delayed_put_pid(), and the RCU callback can free\nthe PID before the first release_task() reaches proc_flush_pid().\n\nAn unprivileged reproducer races wait4(-1) against setsid() to trigger this\nordering.  Three of three fresh v7.2 KASAN boots reported:\n\n    BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in\n    proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache+0x3e2/0x3f0\n    Read of size 8 by task h7_pid_reaper/1921\n\n    Call Trace:\n     proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache\n     release_task\n     wait_consider_task\n     __do_wait\n     do_wait\n     kernel_wait4\n\n    Freed by task 0:\n     kmem_cache_free\n     put_pid\n     delayed_put_pid\n     rcu_core\n\n    Last potentially related work creation:\n     __call_rcu_common\n     free_pids\n     ksys_setsid\n\nKASAN identified a 144-byte object from the pid cache and located the bad\nread 80 bytes into the freed object, matching pid->inodes.  With an\nexplicit reference, three of three fresh boots completed without a KASAN\nreport.  The concurrent RCU callback dropped its reference while\nproc_flush_pid() was protected, and the balancing put_pid() performed the\nfinal free afterward.\n\nTake a reference before __unhash_process() clears p->thread_pid and release\nit after proc_flush_pid() completes.\n\nA tested source reproducer is available privately on request.  No\ncontrolled read or write, information leak, or privilege escalation is\nclaimed.  The mainline patch applies directly to v6.19.y and newer;\nv6.16.y through v6.18.y need a context-adjusted backport."}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-09-25T10:22:29.852Z","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","shortName":"Linux"},"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bcb0936862f2b653114d9bd582ca26990ef54a64"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/96803a12e8ac15f0a1b4b151db59038f12304e58"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdd812d0683dee14ead02c9eded568685e61b23f"}],"title":"exit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid","x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","assignerShortName":"Linux","cveId":"CVE-2026-97903","datePublished":"2026-09-25T10:22:29.852Z","dateReserved":"2026-09-25T10:18:58.200Z","dateUpdated":"2026-09-25T10:22:29.852Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-09-25 11:17:17","lastModifiedDate":"2026-09-25 11:17:17","problem_types":[],"metrics":[],"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"97903","Ordinal":"1","Title":"exit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid","CVE":"CVE-2026-97903","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"97903","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nexit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid\n\nCommit 0a36bad01731 (\"release_task: kill the no longer needed\nget/put_pid(thread_pid)\") removed the reference around proc_flush_pid().\nIt assumed that free_pids(post.pids) at the end of release_task() would\nkeep thread_pid alive until then.\n\nThat assumption is wrong.  __change_pid() only records a detached PID in\npost.pids when pid_has_task() is false for every PIDTYPE.  If another task\nstill uses the exiting task's PID as its process group or session ID,\n__unhash_process() removes the exiting task's PIDTYPE_PID link but leaves\nthe PID out of post.pids.  release_task() therefore holds no reference to\nit after dropping tasklist_lock.\n\nThe other task can then remove the remaining PIDTYPE links.  Its\nfree_pids() call schedules delayed_put_pid(), and the RCU callback can free\nthe PID before the first release_task() reaches proc_flush_pid().\n\nAn unprivileged reproducer races wait4(-1) against setsid() to trigger this\nordering.  Three of three fresh v7.2 KASAN boots reported:\n\n    BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in\n    proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache+0x3e2/0x3f0\n    Read of size 8 by task h7_pid_reaper/1921\n\n    Call Trace:\n     proc_invalidate_siblings_dcache\n     release_task\n     wait_consider_task\n     __do_wait\n     do_wait\n     kernel_wait4\n\n    Freed by task 0:\n     kmem_cache_free\n     put_pid\n     delayed_put_pid\n     rcu_core\n\n    Last potentially related work creation:\n     __call_rcu_common\n     free_pids\n     ksys_setsid\n\nKASAN identified a 144-byte object from the pid cache and located the bad\nread 80 bytes into the freed object, matching pid->inodes.  With an\nexplicit reference, three of three fresh boots completed without a KASAN\nreport.  The concurrent RCU callback dropped its reference while\nproc_flush_pid() was protected, and the balancing put_pid() performed the\nfinal free afterward.\n\nTake a reference before __unhash_process() clears p->thread_pid and release\nit after proc_flush_pid() completes.\n\nA tested source reproducer is available privately on request.  No\ncontrolled read or write, information leak, or privilege escalation is\nclaimed.  The mainline patch applies directly to v6.19.y and newer;\nv6.16.y through v6.18.y need a context-adjusted backport.","Type":"Description","Title":"exit: hold a reference to thread_pid across proc_flush_pid"}]}}}