CVE-2026-97904: Linux kernel · cpufreq: initialize policy rwsem before sysfs publication
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that changes the initialization order to initialize the semaphore before sysfs publication. Users should update to patched versions of the linux-aws kernel to remediate this issue.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's cpufreq subsystem was resolved by changing the initialization order of a semaphore (policy->rwsem). Previously, the semaphore was initialized after the sysfs directory and attributes were created, allowing sysfs access to reach a policy callback before the semaphore was ready. This could lead to improper synchronization. The fix ensures the semaphore is initialized before the policy kobject is published to sysfs.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97904 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97904 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/27c9b491bf7604e83b50c3bbfa18a30266ff345f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cee937f779f69b195b37bbec1e888da9bfe9d58 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc11263cb05ed519758fd135fe08d611bad1f241 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e5d1bf4bd687beb2cb4e32a07af695455925588 (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97904 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/82a54923700da5de83ce2b26c0b43f6b5005c8f1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b14987a0f73777644099f47f01aba3b0f9dc6c27 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b22193eea2ce32c39dda5e09f9c2be2f3fd7eb4a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9d8435814f2ac533c40fe3f35d94235bc3a9443 (opens in a new tab)