CVE-2026-90172

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: smbdirect: destroy QP before mem pools on accept failure On the rdma_accept_failed error path of smbdirect_accept_connect_request(), the receive io posted just above is owned by the QP (recv_io is set to NULL after a successful post). The error path fell through to smbdirect_connection_destroy_mem_pools() before smbdirect_connection_destroy_qp(), so the mem pools and the recv_io slab cache were destroyed while that recv_io was still outstanding on the QP. The drain in smbdirect_connection_destroy_qp() (ib_drain_qp()) is what runs the recv completion that returns the recv_io to the free list, so destroying the pools first leaves the object outstanding at kmem_cache_destroy() time ("Slab cache still has objects") and later frees it into an already-destroyed mempool (mempool_free_bulk NULL-pointer dereference). Give rdma_accept_failed its own teardown that drains the QP first, then destroys the mem pools, and returns. The remaining labels (post_recv_io_failed onward) run before the recv_io was ever posted, so they keep the mem-pools-then-qp order. The outstanding recv_io at kmem_cache_destroy() time: [ 3487.344647] ============================================================================= [ 3487.349942] BUG smbdirect_recv_io_cache_ffff88811ba99000 (Not tainted): Objects remaining on __kmem_cache_shutdown() [ 3487.356078] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ 3487.356078] [ 3487.356738] Object 0xffff8881511c3440 @offset=13376 [ 3487.358464] Allocated in mempool_alloc_noprof+0x18c/0x290 age=1194 cpu=6 pid=22254 [ 3487.361197] mempool_alloc_noprof+0x18c/0x290 [ 3487.361542] smbdirect_connection_create_mem_pools+0x405/0x780 [ 3487.361972] smbdirect_accept_connect_request+0x5a8/0x1b80 [ 3487.362359] smbdirect_listen_rdma_event_handler+0x1579/0x1b90 [ 3487.362779] cma_cm_event_handler+0x9c/0x230 [ 3487.363096] cma_ib_req_handler+0x2682/0x45d0 [ 3487.363414] cm_process_work+0x56/0x3d0 [ 3487.363676] cm_work_handler+0x8a0e/0xd000 [ 3487.367496] process_scheduled_works+0xa07/0x13a0 [ 3487.367859] worker_thread+0x7c9/0xc80 [ 3487.368148] kthread+0x341/0x430 [ 3487.368407] ret_from_fork+0x3a8/0x7a0 [ 3487.368704] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [ 3487.370307] Slab 0xffffea0005447000 objects=19 used=1 fp=0xffff8881511c0040 flags=0x100000000000240(workingset|head|node=0|zone=2) [ 3487.372840] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 3487.373195] WARNING: mm/slub.c:1244 at __slab_err+0x1a/0x30, CPU#6: kworker/6:84/22254 [ 3487.373759] Modules linked in: [ 3487.373993] CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 22254 Comm: kworker/6:84 Tainted: G B 7.1.0-next-20260623+ #88 PREEMPT(lazy) [ 3487.374778] Tainted: [B]=BAD_PAGE [ 3487.377830] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.17.0-debian-1.17.0-1 04/01/2014 [ 3487.378515] Workqueue: ib_cm cm_work_handler [ 3487.378820] RIP: 0010:__slab_err+0x1a/0x30 [ 3487.379129] Code: 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 0f 1f 44 00 00 e8 36 00 00 00 bf 05 00 00 00 be 01 00 00 00 e8 f7 75 45 00 90 <0f> 0b 90 c3 cc cc cc cc cc 66 66 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 [ 3487.383255] RSP: 0018:ffff888220fc7050 EFLAGS: 00010093 [ 3487.383643] RAX: ffffffff8168e60a RBX: ffff88810955e640 RCX: ffff88821c381d80 [ 3487.384158] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000008 RDI: ffffffff870fa080 [ 3487.384662] RBP: ffff888220fc7068 R08: ffffffff870fa087 R09: 1ffffffff0e1f410 [ 3487.385192] R10: dffffc0000000000 R11: fffffbfff0e1f411 R12: ffffea0005447210 [ 3487.385674] R13: ffffea0005447000 R14: ffff888220fc7068 R15: ffff88812a8ab300 [ 3487.388932] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff888427e76000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 3487.389529] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 3487.389934] CR2: 00007ffcf2d84fd8 CR3: 0000000111d64006 CR4: 0000000000f72ef0 [ 3487.390440] PKRU: 55555554 [ 3487.390641] Call Trace: [ 3487.390826] <TASK> [ 3 ---truncated---

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-17
Last modified 2026-09-18
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

7.5

out of 10
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 7.1 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.2.6, 7.3-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 7.1
Fixed in
✓ 7.2.6 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-90172?

    CVE-2026-90172 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 7.1 onward and has been patched in 7.2.6 and 7.3-rc1. CVE-2026-90172 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-90172?

    CVE-2026-90172 has a CVSS score of 7.5 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-90172?

    Yes. CVE-2026-90172 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.6 and 7.3-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 7.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-90172 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-90172 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.