CVE-2026-98072

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/rds: use wq_has_sleeper() in release_in_xmit() release_in_xmit() clears RDS_IN_XMIT with clear_bit_unlock() and then checks waitqueue_active() to decide whether anyone needs waking. clear_bit_unlock() is only a release operation: it orders the critical section before the bit clear, but does not order the subsequent plain load of the wait queue head after it. The waiter side does the mirror image - it adds itself to the wait queue and then tests the bit. That is the classic store-buffering pattern: the releasing CPU can read the wait queue as empty while the waiting CPU still reads the bit as set, so the sleeper is never woken. The waiters are rds_conn_shutdown() and rds_tcp_reset_callbacks(), both in uninterruptible wait_event() with no timeout. A lost wake-up strands the shutdown worker on its single-threaded workqueue until some other sender releases the bit again - and on a connection that is being torn down precisely because it failed, there may never be another sender. The barrier used to be there: release_in_xmit() did clear_bit() followed by smp_mb__after_atomic() until commit 1422f28826d2 ("rds: introduce acquire/release ordering in acquire/release_in_xmit()") folded both into clear_bit_unlock(), which strengthened the lock hand-off but silently dropped the full barrier the wake-up check depends on. The refill counterpart, release_refill() in net/rds/ib_recv.c, still carries its smp_mb__after_atomic() for exactly this reason. Use wq_has_sleeper(), which is waitqueue_active() preceded by the required full barrier.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-25
Last modified 2026-10-03
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.10.214, 5.15.153, 6.1.83, 6.6.23, 4.19.311, 5.4.273, 6.7.11, 6.8.2, 6.9 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7, 7.3-rc2 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.10.214 ≥ 5.15.153 ≥ 6.1.83 ≥ 6.6.23 ≥ 4.19.311 ≥ 5.4.273 ≥ 6.7.11 ≥ 6.8.2 ≥ 6.9
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.271 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.222 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.189 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.158 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.53 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.7 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc2

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98072?

    CVE-2026-98072 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.214 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-98072 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98072?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98072 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.214 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-98072 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98072 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.