# CVE-2026-53153: mm/list_lru: drain before clearing xarray entry on reparent

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's list_lru reparenting logic allows concurrent threads to corrupt list pointers, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 25 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 2 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-53153, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53153, GHSA-x5g3-hx3c-gfxx, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53153

## What is CVE-2026-53153?

CVE-2026-53153 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 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:

mm/list_lru: drain before clearing xarray entry on reparent

memcg_reparent_list_lrus() clears the dying memcg's xarray entry with
xas_store(&xas, NULL) before reparenting its per-node lists into the
parent.  This opens a window where a concurrent list_lru_del() arriving
for the dying memcg sees xa_load() == NULL, walks to the parent in
lock_list_lru_of_memcg(), takes the parent's per-node lock, and calls
list_del_init() on an item still physically linked on the dying memcg's
list.

If another in-flight thread holds the dying memcg's per-node lock at the
same moment (another list_lru_del, or a list_lru_walk_one running an
isolate callback), both threads modify ->next/->prev pointers on the same
physical list under different locks.  Adjacent items can corrupt each
other's links.

Fix it by reversing the order: reparent each per-node list and mark the
child's list lru dead and then clear the xarray entry.  Any concurrent
list_lru op that finds the still-set xarray entry either takes the dying
memcg's per-node lock (synchronizing with the drain) or sees LONG_MIN and
walks to the parent, where the items now live.

Weakness: CWE-820 (Missing Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53153?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Linux kernel, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53153?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53153 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53153 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-2026-53153 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53153 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 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-2026-53153 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-2026-53153/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53153/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53153
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53153
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53153

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53153/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.