# CVE-2026-45957: rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to softirq

> A flaw in the Linux kernel RCU subsystem can cause a deadloop during softirq processing when ftrace is enabled, leading to system denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 May 2026
- **Updated:** 27 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-45957, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-45957, GHSA-hmgm-22hx-5rp9, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-45957, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-45957, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-45957, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-45957, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-45957

## What is CVE-2026-45957?

CVE-2026-45957 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to softirq

Commit 5f5fa7ea89dc ("rcu: Don't use negative nesting depth in
__rcu_read_unlock()") removes the recursion-protection code from
__rcu_read_unlock(). Therefore, we could invoke the deadloop in
raise_softirq_irqoff() with ftrace enabled as follows:

WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 0 at kernel/trace/trace.c:3021 __ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x172/0x180
Modules linked in: my_irq_work(O)
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Tainted: G O 6.18.0-rc7-dirty #23 PREEMPT(full)
Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.15.0-1 04/01/2014
RIP: 0010:__ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x172/0x180
RSP: 0018:ffffc900000034a8 EFLAGS: 00010002
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000004 RCX: 0000000000000000
RDX: 0000000000000003 RSI: ffffffff826d7b87 RDI: ffffffff826e9329
RBP: 0000000000090009 R08: 0000000000000005 R09: ffffffff82afbc4c
R10: 0000000000000008 R11: 0000000000011d7a R12: 0000000000000000
R13: ffff888003874100 R14: 0000000000000003 R15: ffff8880038c1054
FS:  0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff8880fa8ea000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 000055b31fa7f540 CR3: 00000000078f4005 CR4: 0000000000770ef0
PKRU: 55555554
Call Trace:
 <IRQ>
 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x6d/0x220
 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x5c/0x260
 trace_event_raw_event_softirq+0x47/0x80
 raise_softirq_irqoff+0x6e/0xa0
 rcu_read_unlock_special+0xb1/0x160
 unwind_next_frame+0x203/0x9b0
 __unwind_start+0x15d/0x1c0
 arch_stack_walk+0x62/0xf0
 stack_trace_save+0x48/0x70
 __ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x144/0x180
 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x6d/0x220
 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x5c/0x260
 trace_event_raw_event_softirq+0x47/0x80
 raise_softirq_irqoff+0x6e/0xa0
 rcu_read_unlock_special+0xb1/0x160
 unwind_next_frame+0x203/0x9b0
 __unwind_start+0x15d/0x1c0
 arch_stack_walk+0x62/0xf0
 stack_trace_save+0x48/0x70
 __ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x144/0x180
 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x6d/0x220
 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x5c/0x260
 trace_event_raw_event_softirq+0x47/0x80
 raise_softirq_irqoff+0x6e/0xa0
 rcu_read_unlock_special+0xb1/0x160
 unwind_next_frame+0x203/0x9b0
 __unwind_start+0x15d/0x1c0
 arch_stack_walk+0x62/0xf0
 stack_trace_save+0x48/0x70
 __ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x144/0x180
 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x6d/0x220
 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x5c/0x260
 trace_event_raw_event_softirq+0x47/0x80
 raise_softirq_irqoff+0x6e/0xa0
 rcu_read_unlock_special+0xb1/0x160
 __is_insn_slot_addr+0x54/0x70
 kernel_text_address+0x48/0xc0
 __kernel_text_address+0xd/0x40
 unwind_get_return_address+0x1e/0x40
 arch_stack_walk+0x9c/0xf0
 stack_trace_save+0x48/0x70
 __ftrace_trace_stack.constprop.0+0x144/0x180
 trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x6d/0x220
 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x5c/0x260
 trace_event_raw_event_softirq+0x47/0x80
 __raise_softirq_irqoff+0x61/0x80
 __flush_smp_call_function_queue+0x115/0x420
 __sysvec_call_function_single+0x17/0xb0
 sysvec_call_function_single+0x8c/0xc0
 </IRQ>

Commit b41642c87716 ("rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to IRQ work")
fixed the infinite loop in rcu_read_unlock_special() for IRQ work by
setting a flag before calling irq_work_queue_on(). We fix this issue by
setting the same flag before calling raise_softirq_irqoff() and rename the
flag to defer_qs_pending for more common.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-45957?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-45957?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-45957 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45957 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-45957 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-45957 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45957 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45957/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45957/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45957
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45957
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45957

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45957/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.