Unscored severity · published Oct 28, 2026
CVE-2026-99103
workqueue: Fix unbound pool lifetime for pending pwqs
New
–
CVSS
–
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
workqueue: Fix unbound pool lifetime for pending pwqs
KASAN reports a use-after-free of an unbound worker_pool in
node_activate_pending_pwq():
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in _raw_spin_trylock+0x6d/0x120
Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880089ce000 by task kworker/u22:0/318
CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 318 Comm: kworker/u22:0 Not tainted 7.2.0 #1 PREEMPT(lazy)
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.15.0-1 04/01/2014
Workqueue: 0x0 (flush-8:0)
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x53/0x70
print_report+0xce/0x610
kasan_report+0xce/0x100
_raw_spin_trylock+0x6d/0x120
pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x4b4/0xcb0
process_one_work+0x921/0x11a0
worker_thread+0x4d0/0xd20
kthread+0x2de/0x3c0
ret_from_fork+0x3aa/0x620
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
</TASK>
Allocated by task 311:
alloc_pwq+0x439/0xca0
apply_wqattrs_prepare+0x75e/0xd10
apply_workqueue_attrs_locked+0x44/0xa0
wq_nice_store+0x350/0x450
Freed by task 0:
kfree+0x127/0x3b0
rcu_core+0x523/0x1780
handle_softirqs+0x1b3/0x610
Last potentially related work creation:
put_unbound_pool+0x3f3/0x7d0
pwq_release_workfn+0x494/0x8e0
kthread_worker_fn+0x1ff/0x790
Canceling the last inactive work skips pwq_dec_nr_active(), so an empty
pwq can remain on pending_pwqs when its refcnt reaches zero.
pwq_release_workfn() currently puts the pool before removing that pwq.
If this drops the last pool reference, the pool can be RCU-freed while
the pwq remains reachable, and node_activate_pending_pwq() may trylock
the freed pool->lock.
Remove the pwq from pending_pwqs before putting the pool.
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
5a70baec2294e8a7d0fcc4558741c23e752dad5c before 6741dd3fd38e47c08bc39d11ef5fa141fa6d0441; 843288afd3cc6f3342659c6cf81fc47684d25563 before 9f5d5aef3072a33c6f9bfb954bb0cba1c2541849; 5797b1c18919cd9c289ded7954383e499f729ce0 before f320b85c90fe5fc9d4d06badd450518323a94a7f; 5797b1c18919cd9c289ded7954383e499f729ce0 before 3d2ef2b9f4c084ab498494d26495a82f7e15407b; 5797b1c18919cd9c289ded7954383e499f729ce0 before cf9c8aaea0d47410df8708bec195889f3a85cd3c; fc67aebe34f22632ccb22faea48cc4d3134620a2; +4 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99103
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-99103
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6741dd3fd38e47c08bc39d11ef5fa141fa6d0441
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f5d5aef3072a33c6f9bfb954bb0cba1c2541849
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f320b85c90fe5fc9d4d06badd450518323a94a7f
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d2ef2b9f4c084ab498494d26495a82f7e15407b
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf9c8aaea0d47410df8708bec195889f3a85cd3c
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