Bug 2468265 (CVE-2026-43455)

Summary: CVE-2026-43455 kernel: mctp: route: hold key->lock in mctp_flow_prepare_output()
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: unspecified Docs Contact:
Priority: unspecified    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
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Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Message Control Transport Protocol (MCTP) module. A race condition exists in the `mctp_flow_prepare_output()` function where a lock is not properly held during a critical check-and-set operation. This can lead to multiple device references being acquired without proper tracking for release, resulting in a resource leak. Over time, this resource leak could potentially lead to system instability or a denial of service.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-05-08 15:07:48 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mctp: route: hold key->lock in mctp_flow_prepare_output()

mctp_flow_prepare_output() checks key->dev and may call
mctp_dev_set_key(), but it does not hold key->lock while doing so.

mctp_dev_set_key() and mctp_dev_release_key() are annotated with
__must_hold(&key->lock), so key->dev access is intended to be
serialized by key->lock. The mctp_sendmsg() transmit path reaches
mctp_flow_prepare_output() via mctp_local_output() -> mctp_dst_output()
without holding key->lock, so the check-and-set sequence is racy.

Example interleaving:

  CPU0                                  CPU1
  ----                                  ----
  mctp_flow_prepare_output(key, devA)
    if (!key->dev)  // sees NULL
                                        mctp_flow_prepare_output(
                                            key, devB)
                                          if (!key->dev)  // still NULL
                                          mctp_dev_set_key(devB, key)
                                            mctp_dev_hold(devB)
                                            key->dev = devB
    mctp_dev_set_key(devA, key)
      mctp_dev_hold(devA)
      key->dev = devA   // overwrites devB

Now both devA and devB references were acquired, but only the final
key->dev value is tracked for release. One reference can be lost,
causing a resource leak as mctp_dev_release_key() would only decrease
the reference on one dev.

Fix by taking key->lock around the key->dev check and
mctp_dev_set_key() call.