CVE-2026-97992: Linux kernel · vhost-vdpa: protect config_ctx from being freed under the config callback
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · fixed in f4a93f15ed1c8406ba5c8e5b28cafacb2b3bcd11 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:30 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in f4a93f15ed1c8406ba5c8e5b28cafacb2b3bcd11, bf35c8948ab7a3eaf1f724fa1e870e3f73a1749b, 914c7cc2e3d10dddd3c5529cbe56557c9e01702a +2
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
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vhost-vdpa: protect config_ctx from being freed under the config callback vhost_vdpa_config_cb() loads v->config_ctx and signals it without taking a reference and without holding any lock: struct eventfd_ctx *config_ctx = v->config_ctx; if (config_ctx) eventfd_signal(config_ctx); VHOST_VDPA_SET_CONFIG_CALL replaces that field and drops what is normally the last reference to the old context: swap(ctx, v->config_ctx); if (ctx) eventfd_ctx_put(ctx); eventfd_ctx_put() drops the last kref and frees the context immediately, with no RCU grace period, so a callback that has already loaded the pointer goes on to dereference freed memory. The two sides share no lock: the ioctl runs under vhost_dev.mutex, while the parent invokes the callback from its own interrupt or workqueue context. This is not the reopen refcount underflow fixed by commit f6bbf0010ba0 ("vhost-vdpa: fix use-after-free of v->config_ctx"), which was about vhost_vdpa_config_put() leaving a stale pointer behind. Here the pointer is maintained correctly and it is the read side that is unprotected. With VDUSE as the parent this is reachable from userspace with access to /dev/vduse (root by default). VDUSE_DEV_INJECT_CONFIG_IRQ queues dev->inject, and vduse_dev_irq_inject() runs the callback under VDUSE's own dev->irq_lock, which vhost does not hold. vduse_dev_reset() does flush_work(&dev->inject), but VHOST_VDPA_SET_CONFIG_CALL never goes through reset, so an inject already in flight is not waited for. A process that injects config interrupts on the VDUSE fd while another thread swaps the call fd on the vhost-vdpa fd hits it in seconds: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath Read of size 4 at addr ffff888107d21808 by task kworker/u17:1/2993 Workqueue: vduse-irq vduse_dev_irq_inject Call Trace: native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x97/0x5b0 _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0xd4/0xe0 eventfd_signal_mask+0x69/0x120 vhost_vdpa_config_cb+0x34/0x50 vduse_dev_irq_inject+0x46/0x60 process_one_work+0x468/0x950 Allocated by task 2992: do_eventfd+0x50/0x200 __x64_sys_eventfd2+0x2e/0x40 Freed by task 2992: eventfd_ctx_put+0xb9/0xc0 vhost_vdpa_unlocked_ioctl+0x116c/0x2190 Add a spinlock covering every access to config_ctx, so the callback either signals a context that is still alive or observes NULL, and the put happens only once no callback can reach the old value. Clearing the parent's callback before the put would not be enough: of the in-tree set_config_cb() implementations only VDUSE takes a lock, the rest store the pointer unlocked, so that would not order against an in-flight invocation.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/914c7cc2e3d10dddd3c5529cbe56557c9e01702a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf35c8948ab7a3eaf1f724fa1e870e3f73a1749b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a075ee2398929d5cc1393666f219c35332becb1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4a93f15ed1c8406ba5c8e5b28cafacb2b3bcd11 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/62be4e3e5f5f947fbf765b914cebdc478f715d12 (opens in a new tab)