Bug 2461465 (CVE-2026-31586)

Summary: CVE-2026-31586 kernel: mm: blk-cgroup: fix use-after-free in cgwb_release_workfn()
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security <prodsec-ir-bot>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's block control group (blk-cgroup) component. A timing issue in the cgwb_release_workfn() function can lead to a use-after-free vulnerability. This occurs when a block control group object is prematurely released while still being referenced. A local attacker could exploit this to cause system instability or a denial of service.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-04-24 15:03:02 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm: blk-cgroup: fix use-after-free in cgwb_release_workfn()

cgwb_release_workfn() calls css_put(wb->blkcg_css) and then later accesses
wb->blkcg_css again via blkcg_unpin_online().  If css_put() drops the last
reference, the blkcg can be freed asynchronously (css_free_rwork_fn ->
blkcg_css_free -> kfree) before blkcg_unpin_online() dereferences the
pointer to access blkcg->online_pin, resulting in a use-after-free:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in blkcg_unpin_online (./include/linux/instrumented.h:112 ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h:400 ./include/linux/refcount.h:389 ./include/linux/refcount.h:432 ./include/linux/refcount.h:450 block/blk-cgroup.c:1367)
  Write of size 4 at addr ff11000117aa6160 by task kworker/71:1/531
   Workqueue: cgwb_release cgwb_release_workfn
   Call Trace:
    <TASK>
     blkcg_unpin_online (./include/linux/instrumented.h:112 ./include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h:400 ./include/linux/refcount.h:389 ./include/linux/refcount.h:432 ./include/linux/refcount.h:450 block/blk-cgroup.c:1367)
     cgwb_release_workfn (mm/backing-dev.c:629)
     process_scheduled_works (kernel/workqueue.c:3278 kernel/workqueue.c:3385)

   Freed by task 1016:
    kfree (./include/linux/kasan.h:235 mm/slub.c:2689 mm/slub.c:6246 mm/slub.c:6561)
    css_free_rwork_fn (kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:5542)
    process_scheduled_works (kernel/workqueue.c:3302 kernel/workqueue.c:3385)

** Stack based on commit 66672af7a095 ("Add linux-next specific files
for 20260410")

I am seeing this crash sporadically in Meta fleet across multiple kernel
versions.  A full reproducer is available at:
https://github.com/leitao/debug/blob/main/reproducers/repro_blkcg_uaf.sh

(The race window is narrow.  To make it easily reproducible, inject a
msleep(100) between css_put() and blkcg_unpin_online() in
cgwb_release_workfn().  With that delay and a KASAN-enabled kernel, the
reproducer triggers the splat reliably in less than a second.)

Fix this by moving blkcg_unpin_online() before css_put(), so the
cgwb's CSS reference keeps the blkcg alive while blkcg_unpin_online()
accesses it.