High severity · published Jun 24, 2026
CVE-2026-52946
fs/fcntl: fix SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order in fasync signaling
7.5
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs/fcntl: fix SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order in fasync signaling
A SOFTIRQ-safe to SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order deadlock can occur in
send_sigio() and send_sigurg() when a process group receives a signal.
When FASYNC is configured for a process group (PIDTYPE_PGID), both
functions use read_lock(&tasklist_lock) to traverse the task list.
However, they are frequently called from softirq context:
- send_sigio() via input_inject_event -> kill_fasync
- send_sigurg() via tcp_check_urg -> sk_send_sigurg (NET_RX_SOFTIRQ)
The deadlock is caused by the rwlock writer fairness mechanism:
1. CPU 0 (process context) holds read_lock(&tasklist_lock) in do_wait().
2. CPU 1 (process context) attempts write_lock(&tasklist_lock) in
fork() or exit() and spins, which blocks all new readers.
3. CPU 0 is interrupted by a softirq (e.g., TCP URG packet reception).
4. The softirq calls send_sigurg() and attempts to acquire
read_lock(&tasklist_lock), deadlocking because CPU 1 is waiting.
Since PID hashing and do_each_pid_task() traversals are already
RCU-protected, the read_lock on tasklist_lock is no longer strictly
required for safe traversal. Fix this by replacing tasklist_lock with
rcu_read_lock(), aligning the process group signaling path with the
single-PID path. This also mitigates a potential remote denial of
service vector via TCP URG packets.
Lockdep splat:
=====================================================
WARNING: SOFTIRQ-safe -> SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order detected
[...]
Chain exists of:
&dev->event_lock --> &f_owner->lock --> tasklist_lock
Possible interrupt unsafe locking scenario:
CPU0 CPU1
---- ----
lock(tasklist_lock);
local_irq_disable();
lock(&dev->event_lock);
lock(&f_owner->lock);
<Interrupt>
lock(&dev->event_lock);
*** DEADLOCK ***
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 40% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
2.6.12.1 before 5.10.259; 5.11 before 5.15.210; 5.16 before 6.1.176; 6.2 before 6.6.143; 6.7 before 6.12.94; 6.13 before 6.18.36; +7 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 54626335ea4174ab2d9a183b511d825f6765e47b; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 897d6a7247739fb1528f98c575df4f2e5de7f994; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 32dbd5ce4be3a3ed7e00f8af18795cc84fc50a33; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before b5fa9e32fb6718f70c986ee14dd5d01b4846f331; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 1bee417678f1135e35b25a37734db46aa94258d2; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 20a93e397abe850c49b6fa0e8cc827b5f634a8f5; +4 more · source: vendor
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.7; V3.1.6; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518F-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.7; V3.1.6; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem · Siemens
0 · source: CISA
SS
SIPLUS S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52946
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-52946
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00633c4683828acd5256fa8d5163f440d74bbe71
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1bee417678f1135e35b25a37734db46aa94258d2
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/20a93e397abe850c49b6fa0e8cc827b5f634a8f5
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/32dbd5ce4be3a3ed7e00f8af18795cc84fc50a33
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/36c1b57b2ecf3c61ac93f5f07bd29b6f21e226ed
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/54626335ea4174ab2d9a183b511d825f6765e47b
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