GHSA-MXVQ-QHX2-FP47
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-24 15:32 – Updated: 2026-04-24 15:32In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
Input: uinput - fix circular locking dependency with ff-core
A lockdep circular locking dependency warning can be triggered reproducibly when using a force-feedback gamepad with uinput (for example, playing ELDEN RING under Wine with a Flydigi Vader 5 controller):
ff->mutex -> udev->mutex -> input_mutex -> dev->mutex -> ff->mutex
The cycle is caused by four lock acquisition paths:
-
ff upload: input_ff_upload() holds ff->mutex and calls uinput_dev_upload_effect() -> uinput_request_submit() -> uinput_request_send(), which acquires udev->mutex.
-
device create: uinput_ioctl_handler() holds udev->mutex and calls uinput_create_device() -> input_register_device(), which acquires input_mutex.
-
device register: input_register_device() holds input_mutex and calls kbd_connect() -> input_register_handle(), which acquires dev->mutex.
-
evdev release: evdev_release() calls input_flush_device() under dev->mutex, which calls input_ff_flush() acquiring ff->mutex.
Fix this by introducing a new state_lock spinlock to protect udev->state and udev->dev access in uinput_request_send() instead of acquiring udev->mutex. The function only needs to atomically check device state and queue an input event into the ring buffer via uinput_dev_event() -- both operations are safe under a spinlock (ktime_get_ts64() and wake_up_interruptible() do not sleep). This breaks the ff->mutex -> udev->mutex link since a spinlock is a leaf in the lock ordering and cannot form cycles with mutexes.
To keep state transitions visible to uinput_request_send(), protect writes to udev->state in uinput_create_device() and uinput_destroy_device() with the same state_lock spinlock.
Additionally, move init_completion(&request->done) from uinput_request_send() to uinput_request_submit() before uinput_request_reserve_slot(). Once the slot is allocated, uinput_flush_requests() may call complete() on it at any time from the destroy path, so the completion must be initialised before the request becomes visible.
Lock ordering after the fix:
ff->mutex -> state_lock (spinlock, leaf) udev->mutex -> state_lock (spinlock, leaf) udev->mutex -> input_mutex -> dev->mutex -> ff->mutex (no back-edge)
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-31667"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-04-24T15:16:46Z",
"severity": null
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nInput: uinput - fix circular locking dependency with ff-core\n\nA lockdep circular locking dependency warning can be triggered\nreproducibly when using a force-feedback gamepad with uinput (for\nexample, playing ELDEN RING under Wine with a Flydigi Vader 5\ncontroller):\n\n ff-\u003emutex -\u003e udev-\u003emutex -\u003e input_mutex -\u003e dev-\u003emutex -\u003e ff-\u003emutex\n\nThe cycle is caused by four lock acquisition paths:\n\n1. ff upload: input_ff_upload() holds ff-\u003emutex and calls\n uinput_dev_upload_effect() -\u003e uinput_request_submit() -\u003e\n uinput_request_send(), which acquires udev-\u003emutex.\n\n2. device create: uinput_ioctl_handler() holds udev-\u003emutex and calls\n uinput_create_device() -\u003e input_register_device(), which acquires\n input_mutex.\n\n3. device register: input_register_device() holds input_mutex and\n calls kbd_connect() -\u003e input_register_handle(), which acquires\n dev-\u003emutex.\n\n4. evdev release: evdev_release() calls input_flush_device() under\n dev-\u003emutex, which calls input_ff_flush() acquiring ff-\u003emutex.\n\nFix this by introducing a new state_lock spinlock to protect\nudev-\u003estate and udev-\u003edev access in uinput_request_send() instead of\nacquiring udev-\u003emutex. The function only needs to atomically check\ndevice state and queue an input event into the ring buffer via\nuinput_dev_event() -- both operations are safe under a spinlock\n(ktime_get_ts64() and wake_up_interruptible() do not sleep). This\nbreaks the ff-\u003emutex -\u003e udev-\u003emutex link since a spinlock is a leaf in\nthe lock ordering and cannot form cycles with mutexes.\n\nTo keep state transitions visible to uinput_request_send(), protect\nwrites to udev-\u003estate in uinput_create_device() and\nuinput_destroy_device() with the same state_lock spinlock.\n\nAdditionally, move init_completion(\u0026request-\u003edone) from\nuinput_request_send() to uinput_request_submit() before\nuinput_request_reserve_slot(). Once the slot is allocated,\nuinput_flush_requests() may call complete() on it at any time from\nthe destroy path, so the completion must be initialised before the\nrequest becomes visible.\n\nLock ordering after the fix:\n\n ff-\u003emutex -\u003e state_lock (spinlock, leaf)\n udev-\u003emutex -\u003e state_lock (spinlock, leaf)\n udev-\u003emutex -\u003e input_mutex -\u003e dev-\u003emutex -\u003e ff-\u003emutex (no back-edge)",
"id": "GHSA-mxvq-qhx2-fp47",
"modified": "2026-04-24T15:32:37Z",
"published": "2026-04-24T15:32:37Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31667"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1534661043c434b81cfde26b97a2fb2460329cf0"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e09dfbb4f5d20ee111f92325a00f85778a5f328"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/271ee71a1917b89f6d73ec82dd091c33d92ee617"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cda78d6f8bf2b700529f2fbccb994c3e826d7c2"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/546c18a14924eb521fe168d916d7ce28f1e13c1d"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71a9729f412e2c692a35c542e14b706fb342927f"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/974f7b138c3a96dd5cd53d1b33409cd7b2229dc6"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3d6c9c053c9c605651508569230ead633b13f76"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.