Bug 2439941 (CVE-2026-23168) - CVE-2026-23168 kernel: flex_proportions: make fprop_new_period() hardirq safe
Summary: CVE-2026-23168 kernel: flex_proportions: make fprop_new_period() hardirq safe
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2026-23168
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security DevOps Team
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-02-14 17:04 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-02-16 21:30 UTC (History)
0 users

Fixed In Version:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-02-14 17:04:08 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

flex_proportions: make fprop_new_period() hardirq safe

Bernd has reported a lockdep splat from flexible proportions code that is
essentially complaining about the following race:

<timer fires>
run_timer_softirq - we are in softirq context
  call_timer_fn
    writeout_period
      fprop_new_period
        write_seqcount_begin(&p->sequence);

        <hardirq is raised>
        ...
        blk_mq_end_request()
	  blk_update_request()
	    ext4_end_bio()
	      folio_end_writeback()
		__wb_writeout_add()
		  __fprop_add_percpu_max()
		    if (unlikely(max_frac < FPROP_FRAC_BASE)) {
		      fprop_fraction_percpu()
			seq = read_seqcount_begin(&p->sequence);
			  - sees odd sequence so loops indefinitely

Note that a deadlock like this is only possible if the bdi has configured
maximum fraction of writeout throughput which is very rare in general but
frequent for example for FUSE bdis.  To fix this problem we have to make
sure write section of the sequence counter is irqsafe.


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