Bug 2536337 (CVE-2026-90108)

Summary: CVE-2026-90108 kernel: net/smc: free stashed qentry before overwrite in REQ_ADD_LINK to ADD_LINK transition
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: 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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Fixed In Version: Doc Type: ---
Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's `net/smc` component. During a specific state transition in the `smc_llc_event_handler()`, a previously stashed memory object (`qentry`) is overwritten without being properly freed. This oversight leads to a memory leak, where allocated memory is not released, potentially impacting system stability or resource availability over time.
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Last Closed: Type: ---
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-09-17 17:26:31 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/smc: free stashed qentry before overwrite in REQ_ADD_LINK to ADD_LINK transition

When smc_llc_event_handler() transitions the local LLC flow from
SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK to SMC_LLC_FLOW_ADD_LINK on arrival of an ADD_LINK
request, it calls smc_llc_flow_qentry_set() unconditionally:

	if (lgr->llc_flow_lcl.type == SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK) {
		lgr->llc_flow_lcl.type = SMC_LLC_FLOW_ADD_LINK;
		smc_llc_flow_qentry_set(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl, qentry);
		...
	}

A CONFIRM_LINK or ADD_LINK_CONT arriving while flow->type is
SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK is stashed into flow->qentry via the
SMC_LLC_CONFIRM_LINK / SMC_LLC_ADD_LINK_CONT handler (which stores into
flow->qentry for any non-NONE flow type).  When the subsequent ADD_LINK
arrives, the REQ_ADD_LINK branch overwrites flow->qentry with the new pointer
without first freeing the stashed allocation, leaking one kmalloc object.

The stashed entry has no consumer: smc_llc_wait() is only called from
llc_add_link_work, which is not yet scheduled while the flow type remains
REQ_ADD_LINK.  No waiter is sleeping on llc_msg_waiter at this point.
It is safe to unconditionally free any stashed qentry before
the overwrite.

Call smc_llc_flow_qentry_del() before smc_llc_flow_qentry_set() in the
REQ_ADD_LINK branch.  smc_llc_flow_qentry_del() already checks flow->qentry
before freeing, so the normal path where no entry is stashed is a no-op.