CVE-2026-68094 sched_ext: Preserve rq tracking across local DSQ dispatch
A flaw in the Linux kernel's sched_ext scheduler can cause a lockdep assertion failure and system crash during task dispatch, requiring local access and specific scheduler configurations.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-68094?
CVE-2026-68094 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 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:
sched_ext: Preserve rq tracking across local DSQ dispatch
dispatch_to_local_dsq() can run from scx_bpf_dsq_move_to_local() while ops.dispatch() has recorded the current rq. Moving a task to a local DSQ may switch to the source or destination rq before synchronously invoking ops.dequeue() through the following path:
SCX_CALL_OP(dispatch, rq) ops.dispatch() scx_bpf_dsq_move_to_local() scx_flush_dispatch_buf() finish_dispatch() dispatch_to_local_dsq() scx_dispatch_enqueue() local_dsq_post_enq() call_task_dequeue() SCX_CALL_OP_TASK(dequeue, locked_rq, ...)
The nested callback saves the recorded rq and restores it on return. If the rq tracking does not follow the lock switch, update_locked_rq() can trigger the following lockdep assertion while restoring an rq which is no longer held:
WARNING: kernel/sched/sched.h:1641 at call_task_dequeue+0x160/0x170 Call Trace: scx_dispatch_enqueue+0x2b0/0x460 dispatch_to_local_dsq+0x138/0x230 scx_flush_dispatch_buf+0x1af/0x220 scx_bpf_dsq_move_to_local___v2+0xe2/0x1c0 bpf__sched_ext_ops_dispatch+0x4b/0xa7 do_pick_task_scx+0x3b6/0x910 __pick_next_task+0x105/0x1f0 __schedule+0x3e7/0x1980
Introduce switch_rq_lock() to update the tracking state together with each rq lock handoff. Use it in dispatch_to_local_dsq(), move_remote_task_to_local_dsq() and the in-balance paths of scx_dsq_move(), ensuring that scx_locked_rq() consistently refers to the rq whose lock is actually held throughout the lock dance.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68094?
How do I fix CVE-2026-68094?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-68094 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68094 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68094, GHSA-2r8m-gp54-6g6c, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68094.