CVE-2026-89508 RDMA/ucma: Lock the handler in ucma_set_ib_path()
A race condition in the Linux kernel RDMA subsystem allows a use-after-free, potentially leading to denial of service or code execution.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-89508?
CVE-2026-89508 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 11 Sep 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:
RDMA/ucma: Lock the handler in ucma_set_ib_path()
ucma_set_ib_path() calls ucma_event_handler() straight from the write() path, without the handler lock that keeps ctx->file stable while a uevent is queued. The handler re-reads ctx->file for every dereference:
mutex_lock(&ctx->file->mut); /* file A */ list_add_tail(&uevent->list, &ctx->file->event_list); /* file B */ mutex_unlock(&ctx->file->mut); /* file B */ wake_up_interruptible(&ctx->file->poll_wait); /* file B */
A concurrent ucma_migrate_id() reassigns ctx->file while the SET_OPTION caller sleeps in mutex_lock(), so the list_add_tail() lands on file B's event_list while only file A's mutex is held, racing every other user of that list:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __list_add_valid_or_report+0x1aa/0x1c0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888153c6a418 by task poc_corr/486 Call Trace: __list_add_valid_or_report+0x1aa/0x1c0 ucma_event_handler+0x1be/0xc00 ucma_set_ib_path+0x45e/0x710 ucma_set_option+0x32e/0x590 ucma_write+0x1f9/0x330 Allocated by task 505: ucma_write_cm_event+0x1a1/0x660 Freed by task 505: kfree+0x1da/0x4c0 ucma_get_event+0x5d5/0x7e0
The freed object is a ucma_event that another thread dequeued from file B's list under file B's mutex. File A's mut is left held on top of that, wedging its next writer in uninterruptible sleep.
This path needs a bound and address-resolved cm_id, so it requires an RDMA device to be present.
Take the handler lock around the call.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-89508?
How do I fix CVE-2026-89508?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-89508 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-89508 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-100088, BELL-CVE-2026-89508, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89508, GHSA-r924-qj9j-26c5, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89508.