CVE-2026-93252
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ocfs2: fix circular locking dependency in ocfs2_init_acl() A lockdep warning indicates a circular locking dependency between `&oi->ip_xattr_sem` and `&journal->j_trans_barrier`: WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected is trying to acquire lock: (&oi->ip_xattr_sem){++++}-{4:4}, at: ocfs2_init_acl+0x2fd/0x7e0 fs/ocfs2/acl.c:367 but task is already holding lock: (&journal->j_trans_barrier){.+.+}-{4:4}, at: ocfs2_start_trans+0x3ab/0x700 fs/ocfs2/journal.c:369 The deadlock involves two code paths: Path 1 (setxattr) where `ocfs2_xattr_set()` acquires `ip_xattr_sem` (write) and then starts a transaction, which acquires `j_trans_barrier` (read); and Path 2 (mkdir/mknod) where `ocfs2_mknod()` starts a transaction (`j_trans_barrier` read) and then calls `ocfs2_init_acl()`, which attempts to acquire `ip_xattr_sem` (read) on the parent directory to retrieve the default ACL. Because rw_semaphores are subject to writer priority, a pending writer on `j_trans_barrier` (e.g., the journal commit thread) can cause Path 1 to block, while Path 2 is blocked waiting for Path 1 to release `ip_xattr_sem`. The patch fixes the lock ordering by precomputing the ACL state before starting the OCFS2 transaction, while preserving POSIX ACL storage semantics and the existing inode/security initialization order. By reading the parent directory's default ACL and preparing the new inode's ACLs outside the transaction, `ip_xattr_sem` is always acquired before `j_trans_barrier`. `struct ocfs2_acl_state` encapsulates the prepared ACL state, while `ocfs2_acl_init_prepare()` and `ocfs2_acl_init_release()` avoid code duplication between `ocfs2_mknod()` and `ocfs2_init_security_and_acl()`. `ocfs2_calc_xattr_init()` and `ocfs2_init_acl()` use this precomputed state, removing internal `ip_xattr_sem` acquisition and redundant disk reads. Additionally, remove the `ip_xattr_sem` acquisition from `ocfs2_xattr_set_handle()`. This function is only used while initializing a new inode that has not yet been inserted into the inode hash or attached to a dentry, meaning there is no risk of concurrent access and the lock is unnecessary.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.18.111,
4.4.134,
4.9.104,
4.14.37,
4.16
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.270,
5.15.221,
6.1.188,
6.6.157,
6.12.110,
6.18.52,
7.2.6,
7.3-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-93252?
CVE-2026-93252 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.18.111 onward and has been patched in 5.10.270, 5.15.221, 6.1.188 and others. CVE-2026-93252 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-93252?
Yes. CVE-2026-93252 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.270, 5.15.221, 6.1.188 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.18.111 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-93252 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-93252 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.