# CVE-2026-64425: io_uring/io-wq: re-check IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT for each linked work item

> A race condition in the Linux kernel io_uring subsystem allows work items to continue executing after exit, potentially causing denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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:** 25 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-93488, BELL-CVE-2026-64425, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64425, GHSA-rmw8-w7cg-rwfm, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-64425, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64425

## What is CVE-2026-64425?

CVE-2026-64425 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jul 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:

io_uring/io-wq: re-check IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT for each linked work item

commit 10dc95939817 ("io_uring/io-wq: check IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT inside work
run loop") fixed the obvious case where io_worker_handle_work() took one
exit-bit snapshot before draining pending work, but the fix stops one
level too early.

io_worker_handle_work() now re-checks IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT in its outer work
run loop, yet it still snapshots that bit once before processing a whole
dependent linked-work chain. If io_wq_exit_start() sets IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT
after the first linked item has started, the remaining linked items can
still reuse stale do_kill = false, skip IO_WQ_WORK_CANCEL, and continue
running after exit has begun.

Move the check further inside, so it covers linked items too. Note: this
is a syzbot special as it loves setting up tons of slow linked work on
weird devices like msr that take forever to read, and immediately close
the ring. Exit then takes a long time.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64425?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-64425?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-64425 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64425 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-2026-64425 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-64425 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jul 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-2026-64425 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-2026-64425/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64425/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-64425
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64425
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-64425

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64425/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.