{"api_version":"1","generated_at":"2026-10-01T18:35:11+00:00","cve":"CVE-2026-98163","urls":{"html":"https://cve.report/CVE-2026-98163","api":"https://cve.report/api/cve/CVE-2026-98163.json","docs":"https://cve.report/api","cve_org":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98163","nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98163"},"summary":{"title":"cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ncgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount\n\nThe commit 260fbcb92bbea (\"cgroup: Move dying_tasks cleanup from\ncgroup_task_release() to cgroup_task_free()\") extended the lifetime of\ntasks on the dying_tasks list.\nThe iterators have provision to go through dying_tasks because of\ndying threadgroup leaders or explicit CSS_TASK_ITER_WITH_DEAD, however,\nit was expected that such tasks can obtain a new reference (that is\npossible before cgroup_task_release()/put_task_struct_rcu_user()).\nThe tasks after cgroup_task_release() and before cgroup_task_free()\nare subject to race when they may or may not have ->usage count > 0.\n\nThe race window is between css_task_iter_next() invocations\nwhen css_set_lock is released and we may arrive at a new ->task_pos.\nThe iterator should not attempt to resurrect tasks whose ->usage count\ndropped to zero. (When that happens, __put_task_struct_rcu_cb() is\nalready imminent and the returned task_struct would could be used\nafter free.)\n\nAs for the fix, we cannot simply check the signal->live count of a task\non the dying list because that won't distinguish regular zombies waiting\nto be reaped from RCU remnant tasks that are going to be free'd.\nTherefore add an extra check to rule out ->usage==0 tasks from any\niteration.\n\nThe repeat: loop in css_task_iter_advance() doesn't consider ->usage\ncount, so add a new loop to css_task_iter_next() to skip de-used tasks\non the dying_list.\n\nRough illustration of the possible race\n\n  R (reader of cgroup.procs)         T (thread)                       L (group leader)\n  ---------------------------------  -------------------------------- --------------------------------\n                                                                      L exits, signal->live > 0\n                                                                      cgroup_task_dead(L)\n                                                                        css_set_skip_task_iters() // skips only cset->tasks\n                                                                        list_add_tail(&L->cg_list, &cset->dying_tasks)\n  css_task_iter_next()\n    take css_set_lock\n    css_task_iter_advance()\n      leader && signal->live != 0\n      => it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    release css_set_lock\n                                     T exits\n                                     --signal->live == 0\n\t\t\t\t     cgroup_task_dead(T) // css_set_lock\n                                     release_task(T)\n                                       cgroup_task_release(T)\n                                       release_task(L) // zap_leader\n                                         cgroup_task_release(L)\n                                         put_task_struct_rcu_user(L)\n                                         ...RCU...\n                                         put_task_struct(L)\n                                           L->usage = 0\n                                           /* L still on dying_tasks */\n                                           ...RCU...\n                                           __put_task_struct(L)\n  css_task_iter_next() // another iteration\n    take css_set_lock\n    it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    get_task_struct(L)\n      => addition on 0\n    drop css_set_lock\n                                           cgroup_task_free(L)\n                                             css_set_skip_task_iters() // dying skip comes too late\n                                           free_task(L)\n  cgroup_procs_show()\n    task_pid_vnr(L)","state":"PUBLISHED","assigner":"Linux","published_at":"2026-09-26 09:16:38","updated_at":"2026-09-30 14:10:59"},"problem_types":[],"metrics":[],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/057dac23d329d5c5ed62352f2659a39fd46c6d4a","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/057dac23d329d5c5ed62352f2659a39fd46c6d4a","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/828938118d6c2bb711301748c3e39e4bed6a62f5","name":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/828938118d6c2bb711301748c3e39e4bed6a62f5","refsource":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","tags":[],"title":"","mime":"","httpstatus":"","archivestatus":"0"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98163","name":"CVE Program record","refsource":"CVE.ORG","tags":["canonical"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98163","name":"NVD vulnerability detail","refsource":"NVD","tags":["canonical","analysis"]}],"affected":[{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 260fbcb92bbeacfcd050410fdc2d24ab15044400 828938118d6c2bb711301748c3e39e4bed6a62f5 git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 260fbcb92bbeacfcd050410fdc2d24ab15044400 057dac23d329d5c5ed62352f2659a39fd46c6d4a git","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"affected 6.19","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 6.19 semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.2.8 7.2.* semver","platforms":[]},{"source":"CNA","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","version":"unaffected 7.3-rc4 * original_commit_for_fix","platforms":[]}],"timeline":[],"solutions":[],"workarounds":[],"exploits":[],"credits":[],"nvd_cpes":[],"vendor_comments":[],"enrichments":{"kev":null,"epss":{"cve_year":"2026","cve_id":"98163","cve":"CVE-2026-98163","epss":"0.001770000","percentile":"0.065430000","score_date":"2026-09-27","updated_at":"2026-09-28 00:02:19"},"legacy_qids":[]},"source_records":{"cve_program":{"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":"828938118d6c2bb711301748c3e39e4bed6a62f5","status":"affected","version":"260fbcb92bbeacfcd050410fdc2d24ab15044400","versionType":"git"},{"lessThan":"057dac23d329d5c5ed62352f2659a39fd46c6d4a","status":"affected","version":"260fbcb92bbeacfcd050410fdc2d24ab15044400","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":"6.19"},{"lessThan":"6.19","status":"unaffected","version":"0","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.2.8","versionType":"semver"},{"lessThanOrEqual":"*","status":"unaffected","version":"7.3-rc4","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}]}],"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"cpeMatch":[{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.2.8","versionStartIncluding":"6.19","vulnerable":true},{"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionEndExcluding":"7.3-rc4","versionStartIncluding":"6.19","vulnerable":true}],"negate":false,"operator":"OR"}]}],"descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ncgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount\n\nThe commit 260fbcb92bbea (\"cgroup: Move dying_tasks cleanup from\ncgroup_task_release() to cgroup_task_free()\") extended the lifetime of\ntasks on the dying_tasks list.\nThe iterators have provision to go through dying_tasks because of\ndying threadgroup leaders or explicit CSS_TASK_ITER_WITH_DEAD, however,\nit was expected that such tasks can obtain a new reference (that is\npossible before cgroup_task_release()/put_task_struct_rcu_user()).\nThe tasks after cgroup_task_release() and before cgroup_task_free()\nare subject to race when they may or may not have ->usage count > 0.\n\nThe race window is between css_task_iter_next() invocations\nwhen css_set_lock is released and we may arrive at a new ->task_pos.\nThe iterator should not attempt to resurrect tasks whose ->usage count\ndropped to zero. (When that happens, __put_task_struct_rcu_cb() is\nalready imminent and the returned task_struct would could be used\nafter free.)\n\nAs for the fix, we cannot simply check the signal->live count of a task\non the dying list because that won't distinguish regular zombies waiting\nto be reaped from RCU remnant tasks that are going to be free'd.\nTherefore add an extra check to rule out ->usage==0 tasks from any\niteration.\n\nThe repeat: loop in css_task_iter_advance() doesn't consider ->usage\ncount, so add a new loop to css_task_iter_next() to skip de-used tasks\non the dying_list.\n\nRough illustration of the possible race\n\n  R (reader of cgroup.procs)         T (thread)                       L (group leader)\n  ---------------------------------  -------------------------------- --------------------------------\n                                                                      L exits, signal->live > 0\n                                                                      cgroup_task_dead(L)\n                                                                        css_set_skip_task_iters() // skips only cset->tasks\n                                                                        list_add_tail(&L->cg_list, &cset->dying_tasks)\n  css_task_iter_next()\n    take css_set_lock\n    css_task_iter_advance()\n      leader && signal->live != 0\n      => it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    release css_set_lock\n                                     T exits\n                                     --signal->live == 0\n\t\t\t\t     cgroup_task_dead(T) // css_set_lock\n                                     release_task(T)\n                                       cgroup_task_release(T)\n                                       release_task(L) // zap_leader\n                                         cgroup_task_release(L)\n                                         put_task_struct_rcu_user(L)\n                                         ...RCU...\n                                         put_task_struct(L)\n                                           L->usage = 0\n                                           /* L still on dying_tasks */\n                                           ...RCU...\n                                           __put_task_struct(L)\n  css_task_iter_next() // another iteration\n    take css_set_lock\n    it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    get_task_struct(L)\n      => addition on 0\n    drop css_set_lock\n                                           cgroup_task_free(L)\n                                             css_set_skip_task_iters() // dying skip comes too late\n                                           free_task(L)\n  cgroup_procs_show()\n    task_pid_vnr(L)"}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-09-26T08:31:50.899Z","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","shortName":"Linux"},"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/828938118d6c2bb711301748c3e39e4bed6a62f5"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/057dac23d329d5c5ed62352f2659a39fd46c6d4a"}],"title":"cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount","x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","assignerShortName":"Linux","cveId":"CVE-2026-98163","datePublished":"2026-09-26T08:31:50.899Z","dateReserved":"2026-09-25T10:25:14.321Z","dateUpdated":"2026-09-26T08:31:50.899Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-09-26 09:16:38","lastModifiedDate":"2026-09-30 14:10:59","problem_types":[],"metrics":[],"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"98163","Ordinal":"1","Title":"cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount","CVE":"CVE-2026-98163","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"98163","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ncgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount\n\nThe commit 260fbcb92bbea (\"cgroup: Move dying_tasks cleanup from\ncgroup_task_release() to cgroup_task_free()\") extended the lifetime of\ntasks on the dying_tasks list.\nThe iterators have provision to go through dying_tasks because of\ndying threadgroup leaders or explicit CSS_TASK_ITER_WITH_DEAD, however,\nit was expected that such tasks can obtain a new reference (that is\npossible before cgroup_task_release()/put_task_struct_rcu_user()).\nThe tasks after cgroup_task_release() and before cgroup_task_free()\nare subject to race when they may or may not have ->usage count > 0.\n\nThe race window is between css_task_iter_next() invocations\nwhen css_set_lock is released and we may arrive at a new ->task_pos.\nThe iterator should not attempt to resurrect tasks whose ->usage count\ndropped to zero. (When that happens, __put_task_struct_rcu_cb() is\nalready imminent and the returned task_struct would could be used\nafter free.)\n\nAs for the fix, we cannot simply check the signal->live count of a task\non the dying list because that won't distinguish regular zombies waiting\nto be reaped from RCU remnant tasks that are going to be free'd.\nTherefore add an extra check to rule out ->usage==0 tasks from any\niteration.\n\nThe repeat: loop in css_task_iter_advance() doesn't consider ->usage\ncount, so add a new loop to css_task_iter_next() to skip de-used tasks\non the dying_list.\n\nRough illustration of the possible race\n\n  R (reader of cgroup.procs)         T (thread)                       L (group leader)\n  ---------------------------------  -------------------------------- --------------------------------\n                                                                      L exits, signal->live > 0\n                                                                      cgroup_task_dead(L)\n                                                                        css_set_skip_task_iters() // skips only cset->tasks\n                                                                        list_add_tail(&L->cg_list, &cset->dying_tasks)\n  css_task_iter_next()\n    take css_set_lock\n    css_task_iter_advance()\n      leader && signal->live != 0\n      => it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    release css_set_lock\n                                     T exits\n                                     --signal->live == 0\n\t\t\t\t     cgroup_task_dead(T) // css_set_lock\n                                     release_task(T)\n                                       cgroup_task_release(T)\n                                       release_task(L) // zap_leader\n                                         cgroup_task_release(L)\n                                         put_task_struct_rcu_user(L)\n                                         ...RCU...\n                                         put_task_struct(L)\n                                           L->usage = 0\n                                           /* L still on dying_tasks */\n                                           ...RCU...\n                                           __put_task_struct(L)\n  css_task_iter_next() // another iteration\n    take css_set_lock\n    it->task_pos = &L->cg_list\n    get_task_struct(L)\n      => addition on 0\n    drop css_set_lock\n                                           cgroup_task_free(L)\n                                             css_set_skip_task_iters() // dying skip comes too late\n                                           free_task(L)\n  cgroup_procs_show()\n    task_pid_vnr(L)","Type":"Description","Title":"cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount"}]}}}