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CVE-2026-99231

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.12%

Last modified

CVE-2026-99231 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/waitid: own the request before clearing ->head io_waitid_remove_wq() only takes the wait queue lock if ->head is set. io_waitid_wait() clears ->head first thing, before it tries to become the owner of the request by bumping ->refs. If somebody else owns the request at that point, nothing keeps it from completing the request while the wake up handler is still going to touch it: CPU0 (io_waitid_wait) CPU1 (io_waitid, holds a ref) list_del_init(&wait->entry) smp_store_release(&iw->head, NULL) __do_wait() finds another child io_waitid_remove_wq() // ->head == NULL, no locking io_waitid_finish(), IOU_COMPLETE // request freed and reused atomic_fetch_inc(&iw->refs) The same goes for __io_waitid_cancel() if it claims the request in that window. EPSS estimates a 0.12% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/waitid: own the request before clearing ->head io_waitid_remove_wq() only takes the wait queue lock if ->head is set. io_waitid_wait() clears ->head first thing, before it tries to become the owner of the request by bumping ->refs. If somebody else owns the request at that point, nothing keeps it from completing the request while the wake up handler is still going to touch it: CPU0 (io_waitid_wait) CPU1 (io_waitid, holds a ref) list_del_init(&wait->entry) smp_store_release(&iw->head, NULL) __do_wait() finds another child io_waitid_remove_wq() // ->head == NULL, no locking io_waitid_finish(), IOU_COMPLETE // request freed and reused atomic_fetch_inc(&iw->refs) The same goes for __io_waitid_cancel() if it claims the request in that window. ->refs is part of the per opcode data of the request, so this increments whatever the next user of the request keeps there. If that happens to be zero, the handler concludes that it owns the request, and queues io_waitid_cb() for it. With the window held open by a delay, and the request reused for a receive that is waiting for data: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __wake_up_common+0x1ca/0x1f0 __wake_up_sync_key+0x36/0x50 sock_def_readable+0xf1/0x420 unix_stream_sendmsg+0x60b/0x1110 Allocated by task 87: io_arm_apoll+0x1ed/0x940 Freed by task 87: __io_submit_flush_completions+0x118d/0x1a10 tctx_task_work_run+0x327/0x950 Only clear ->head once the handler owns the request. If it doesn't, the owner finds ->head set and has to wait for the lock, which is held by the caller of the handler. Deleting the already deleted entry again is harmless.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.12%

1.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

VendorProductVersions
LinuxLinux>= 09951a4d37e33b0197afc7fb77e39f09a3213ee6, < bf01da1a9cca4a54e5c30b8344e52c26afb87be7; >= 934ffdd1cdef232eb125e63c2ebafb7f2deff6af, < 8381a912c65b8de16e8a848225c7c5a56b6ea834; >= ab673c1bcaf20ac70352eeb6bf5b828462676693, < c10ad2813e15186fb51b37a4d17fafddc99e89a5; >= ab673c1bcaf20ac70352eeb6bf5b828462676693, < 6e11ce129b34fb9a43b2bbe838df49ea52878d5c; >= ab673c1bcaf20ac70352eeb6bf5b828462676693, < c254eec4364b9f4b4cbdce43be3fb4df5a651a70; >= 6.12.113, < 6.12.115; >= 6.18.52, < 6.18.60
LinuxLinux6.19

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-99231?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/waitid: own the request before clearing ->head io_waitid_remove_wq() only takes the wait queue lock if ->head is set. io_waitid_wait() clears ->head first thing, before it tries to become the owner of the request by bumping ->refs. If somebody else owns the request at that point, nothing keeps it from completing the request while the wake up handler is still going to touch it: CPU0 (io_waitid_wait) CPU1 (io_waitid, holds a ref) list_del_init(&wait->entry) smp_store_release(&iw->head, NULL) __do_wait() finds another child io_waitid_remove_wq() // ->head == NULL, no locking io_waitid_finish(), IOU_COMPLETE // request freed and reused atomic_fetch_inc(&iw->refs) The same goes for __io_waitid_cancel() if it claims the request in that window. ->refs is part of the per opcode data of the request, so this increments whatever the next user of the request keeps there. If that happens to be zero, the handler concludes that it owns the request, and queues io_waitid_cb() for it. With the window held open by a delay, and the request reused for a receive that is waiting for data: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __wake_up_common+0x1ca/0x1f0 __wake_up_sync_key+0x36/0x50 sock_def_readable+0xf1/0x420 unix_stream_sendmsg+0x60b/0x1110 Allocated by task 87: io_arm_apoll+0x1ed/0x940 Freed by task 87: __io_submit_flush_completions+0x118d/0x1a10 tctx_task_work_run+0x327/0x950 Only clear ->head once the handler owns the request. If it doesn't, the owner finds ->head set and has to wait for the lock, which is held by the caller of the handler. Deleting the already deleted entry again is harmless.
How severe is CVE-2026-99231?
CVE-2026-99231 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.12% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-99231?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST