Bug 2536147 (CVE-2026-90187)

Summary: CVE-2026-90187 kernel: null_blk: free zones array on device power-off
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security <prodsec-ir-bot>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: low Docs Contact:
Priority: low    
Version: unspecifiedCC: akhatavk, aos-team-art-private, asdas, dpaolell, jdelft, jupierce, lgarciaa, mbiarnes, ppalepu, ppostler, prdhamdh, rhel-process-autobot, sghai, sidsharm, suppawar, vlaad, 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 `null_blk` module of the Linux kernel. When a zoned `null_blk` device is powered off and then on again, the memory allocated for device zones is not properly freed. This oversight causes a memory leak with each power cycle, which could lead to resource exhaustion over time.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-09-17 16:40:50 UTC 
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

null_blk: free zones array on device power-off

null_init_zoned_dev() allocates dev->zones when a zoned device is powered
on, but null_del_dev() never frees it on power-off; dev->zones is only
freed later in null_free_dev(), when the configfs directory is removed. If
the device is powered off and then on again, null_init_zoned_dev()
allocates a new array and overwrites the dev->zones pointer, leaking the
previous allocation each power cycle.

Free dev->zones in null_del_dev() via null_free_zoned_dev() to solve it.
And calling null_free_zoned_dev() in null_free_dev() is no longer necessary
because every caller already invokes null_del_dev() first: via
nullb_group_drop_item() before nullb_device_release(), in the
null_add_dev() error path of null_create_dev(), and in null_destroy_dev().
Remove the redundant call.

And take &lock around zone_cond_store() in the two store wrappers to
serialize dev->zones check-and-deref against its alloc/free, which already
run under &lock. The reason there was no problem before is that only
nullb_device_release() or null_exit() frees the dev->zones, which
guarantees that subsequent users won't access the configfs interface.
Comment 1 Keith Grant 2026-09-23 21:46:29 UTC 
Upstream advisory:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-90187.mbox