GHSA-H4R8-4J67-99MX
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-05-30 15:30 – Updated: 2026-10-03 12:31In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
eventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF
ep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file->f_ep under file->f_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section (is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock). A concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in that window observed the transient NULL, skipped eventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op->release / file_free().
For the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op->release is ep_eventpoll_release() -> ep_clear_and_put() -> ep_free(), which kfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded ->refs hlist_head is exactly where epi->fllink.pprev points, so the subsequent hlist_del_rcu()'s "*pprev = next" scribbles into freed kmalloc-192 memory.
In addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot backing @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() -- reinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still nominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable kmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache.
Pin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the critical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file cannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and transitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the hlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs.
If the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its __fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep, that path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into eventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep->mtx until the waiter side's ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi's share of ep->refcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test() in ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under eventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up there.
A successful pin also proves we are not racing eventpoll_release_file() on this epi, so drop the now-redundant re-check of epi->dying under f_lock. The cheap lockless READ_ONCE(epi->dying) fast-path bailout stays.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-46242"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-416"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-05-30T13:16:21Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\neventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF\n\nep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file-\u003ef_ep under\nfile-\u003ef_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section\n(is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock).\nA concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in\nthat window observed the transient NULL, skipped\neventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op-\u003erelease / file_free().\n\nFor the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op-\u003erelease is\nep_eventpoll_release() -\u003e ep_clear_and_put() -\u003e ep_free(), which\nkfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded -\u003erefs\nhlist_head is exactly where epi-\u003efllink.pprev points, so the\nsubsequent hlist_del_rcu()\u0027s \"*pprev = next\" scribbles into freed\nkmalloc-192 memory.\n\nIn addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot\nbacking @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() --\nreinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still\nnominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable\nkmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache.\n\nPin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the\ncritical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file\ncannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and\ntransitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the\nhlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs.\n\nIf the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its\n__fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep,\nthat path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into\neventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep-\u003emtx until the waiter\nside\u0027s ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi\u0027s share of\nep-\u003erefcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test()\nin ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under\neventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up\nthere.\n\nA successful pin also proves we are not racing\neventpoll_release_file() on this epi, so drop the now-redundant\nre-check of epi-\u003edying under f_lock. The cheap lockless\nREAD_ONCE(epi-\u003edying) fast-path bailout stays.",
"id": "GHSA-h4r8-4j67-99mx",
"modified": "2026-10-03T12:31:01Z",
"published": "2026-05-30T15:30:21Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46242"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2de4db145b2992da496fea6c51f9839be678ae24"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e1144d2515d28e4312e663ea05eac203101491d"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9324de74a3a59b9fde9b62ee45ebaa71458ba2e5"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a10fbbe74e1c743beb1bb312109366667461df8a"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6dc643c69311677c574a0f17a3f4d66a5f3744b"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ced39b6a8062bac5c18a1c3df85634107eb8664a"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef4ca02e95363e78977ca04340d44fe3b4b2b81f"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/08/14"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
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