CVE-2026-99103: Linux kernel · workqueue: Fix unbound pool lifetime for pending pwqs
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · fixed in f320b85c90fe5fc9d4d06badd450518323a94a7f : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 10:58 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- Patch
- Available – fixed in f320b85c90fe5fc9d4d06badd450518323a94a7f, cf9c8aaea0d47410df8708bec195889f3a85cd3c, 6741dd3fd38e47c08bc39d11ef5fa141fa6d0441 +5
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 28 Oct 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
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: workqueue: Fix unbound pool lifetime for pending pwqs KASAN reports a use-after-free of an unbound worker_pool in node_activate_pending_pwq(): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in _raw_spin_trylock+0x6d/0x120 Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880089ce000 by task kworker/u22:0/318 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 318 Comm: kworker/u22:0 Not tainted 7.2.0 #1 PREEMPT(lazy) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.15.0-1 04/01/2014 Workqueue: 0x0 (flush-8:0) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x53/0x70 print_report+0xce/0x610 kasan_report+0xce/0x100 _raw_spin_trylock+0x6d/0x120 pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x4b4/0xcb0 process_one_work+0x921/0x11a0 worker_thread+0x4d0/0xd20 kthread+0x2de/0x3c0 ret_from_fork+0x3aa/0x620 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 311: alloc_pwq+0x439/0xca0 apply_wqattrs_prepare+0x75e/0xd10 apply_workqueue_attrs_locked+0x44/0xa0 wq_nice_store+0x350/0x450 Freed by task 0: kfree+0x127/0x3b0 rcu_core+0x523/0x1780 handle_softirqs+0x1b3/0x610 Last potentially related work creation: put_unbound_pool+0x3f3/0x7d0 pwq_release_workfn+0x494/0x8e0 kthread_worker_fn+0x1ff/0x790 Canceling the last inactive work skips pwq_dec_nr_active(), so an empty pwq can remain on pending_pwqs when its refcnt reaches zero. pwq_release_workfn() currently puts the pool before removing that pwq. If this drops the last pool reference, the pool can be RCU-freed while the pwq remains reachable, and node_activate_pending_pwq() may trylock the freed pool->lock. Remove the pwq from pending_pwqs before putting the pool.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6741dd3fd38e47c08bc39d11ef5fa141fa6d0441 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f5d5aef3072a33c6f9bfb954bb0cba1c2541849 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f320b85c90fe5fc9d4d06badd450518323a94a7f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d2ef2b9f4c084ab498494d26495a82f7e15407b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf9c8aaea0d47410df8708bec195889f3a85cd3c (opens in a new tab)