# CVE-2026-72420: md/raid5: avoid R5_Overlap races while breaking stripe batches

> A race condition in the Linux kernel RAID5 driver can cause a deadlock, leading to a denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-96033, BELL-CVE-2026-72420, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72420, GHSA-3f2p-v853-3w76, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72420

## What is CVE-2026-72420?

CVE-2026-72420 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

md/raid5: avoid R5_Overlap races while breaking stripe batches

KCSAN report a race in break_stripe_batch_list() vs. raid5_make_request()
on sh->dev[i].flags (plain word write vs. atomic bit op)..

and .. one possible scenario is:

CPU1                            CPU2
break_stripe_batch_list(sh1)
-> handle sh2
-> lock(sh2)
-> sh2->batch_head = NULL
-> unlock(sh2)
-> test_and_clear_bit(R5_Overlap, sh2->dev[i].flags)
-> wake_up_bit(sh2->dev[i].flags)
                                raid5_make_request()
                                -> add_all_stripe_bios(sh2)
                                -> lock(sh2)
                                -> stripe_bio_overlaps(sh2) returns true
				   batch_head is NULL, so new bio overlap
				   exist bio on sh2 -> true
                                -> set_bit(R5_Overlap, sh2->dev[i].flags)
                                -> unlock(sh2)
                                -> wait_on_bit(sh2->dev[i].flags)
-> sh2->dev[i].flags = sh1->dev[i].flags & ~R5_Overlap

No wait_up_bit(), CPU2 could be wait_on_bit() forever...

Fix by :
- Expand the protect zone.
- Use batch_head's device flag's snaphot when no held head_sh->stripe_lock.
- Move sh/head_sh->batch_head = NULL to the end of protected zone , and ,
  any concurrent add_all_stripe_bios() grabs sh->stripe_lock now either:
	- see batch_head != null, and , is rejected by stripe_bio_overlaps()
	  under the lock (no R5_Overlap wait ) , or ,
	- sees batch_head == NULL, only after dev[i].flags has already been
	  set and the prior R5_Overlap waiters worken.

KCSAN report:
================================================
  BUG: KCSAN: data-race in break_stripe_batch_list / raid5_make_request

  write (marked) to 0xffff8e89c8117548 of 8 bytes by task 4042 on cpu 0:
    raid5_make_request+0xea0/0x2930
    md_handle_request+0x4a2/0xa40
    md_submit_bio+0x109/0x1a0
    __submit_bio+0x2ec/0x390
    submit_bio_noacct_nocheck+0x457/0x710
    submit_bio_noacct+0x2a7/0xc20
    submit_bio+0x56/0x250
    blkdev_direct_IO+0x54c/0xda0
    blkdev_write_iter+0x38f/0x570
    aio_write+0x22b/0x490
    io_submit_one+0xa51/0xf70
    __x64_sys_io_submit+0xf7/0x220
    x64_sys_call+0x1907/0x1c60
    do_syscall_64+0x130/0x570
    entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

  read to 0xffff8e89c8117548 of 8 bytes by task 4010 on cpu 5:
    break_stripe_batch_list+0x249/0x480
    handle_stripe_clean_event+0x720/0x9b0
    handle_stripe+0x32fb/0x4500
    handle_active_stripes.isra.0+0x6e0/0xa50
    raid5d+0x7e0/0xba0
    md_thread+0x15a/0x2d0
    kthread+0x1e3/0x220
    ret_from_fork+0x37a/0x410
    ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30

  value changed: 0x0000000000000019 -> 0x0000000000000099 --> R5_Overlap

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72420?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-72420?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-72420 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72420 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72420 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72420 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72420 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-72420/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72420/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72420
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72420
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72420

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72420/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.