Bug 2461473 (CVE-2026-31555)

Summary: CVE-2026-31555 kernel: futex: Clear stale exiting pointer in futex_lock_pi() retry path
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   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: ---
Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A local user could exploit a race condition within the `futex_lock_pi()` retry path. This vulnerability occurs because a stale pointer to an exiting process is not cleared, leading to a kernel warning. Successful exploitation of this flaw could result in a system crash, causing a Denial of Service (DoS).
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-04-24 15:03:31 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

futex: Clear stale exiting pointer in futex_lock_pi() retry path

Fuzzying/stressing futexes triggered:

    WARNING: kernel/futex/core.c:825 at wait_for_owner_exiting+0x7a/0x80, CPU#11: futex_lock_pi_s/524

When futex_lock_pi_atomic() sees the owner is exiting, it returns -EBUSY
and stores a refcounted task pointer in 'exiting'.

After wait_for_owner_exiting() consumes that reference, the local pointer
is never reset to nil. Upon a retry, if futex_lock_pi_atomic() returns a
different error, the bogus pointer is passed to wait_for_owner_exiting().

  CPU0			     CPU1		       CPU2
  futex_lock_pi(uaddr)
  // acquires the PI futex
  exit()
    futex_cleanup_begin()
      futex_state = EXITING;
			     futex_lock_pi(uaddr)
			       futex_lock_pi_atomic()
				 attach_to_pi_owner()
				   // observes EXITING
				   *exiting = owner;  // takes ref
				   return -EBUSY
			       wait_for_owner_exiting(-EBUSY, owner)
				 put_task_struct();   // drops ref
			       // exiting still points to owner
			       goto retry;
			       futex_lock_pi_atomic()
				 lock_pi_update_atomic()
				   cmpxchg(uaddr)
					*uaddr ^= WAITERS // whatever
				   // value changed
				 return -EAGAIN;
			       wait_for_owner_exiting(-EAGAIN, exiting) // stale
				 WARN_ON_ONCE(exiting)

Fix this by resetting upon retry, essentially aligning it with requeue_pi.