CVE-2026-90325 blk-cgroup: skip dying blkg in blkcg_activate_policy()
A race condition in the Linux kernel block cgroup subsystem allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.
- 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-2026-90325?
CVE-2026-90325 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 17 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:
blk-cgroup: skip dying blkg in blkcg_activate_policy()
When switching IO schedulers on a block device, blkcg_activate_policy() can race with concurrent blkcg deletion, leading to a use-after-free in rcu_accelerate_cbs.
T1: T2: blkg_destroy kill(&blkg->refcnt) // blkg->refcnt=1->0 blkg_release // call_rcu(__blkg_release) ... blkg_free_workfn ->pd_free_fn(pd) elv_iosched_store elevator_switch ... iterate blkg list blkg_get(blkg) // blkg->refcnt=0->1 list_del_init(&blkg->q_node) blkg_put(pinned_blkg) // blkg->refcnt=1->0 blkg_release // call_rcu again rcu_accelerate_cbs // uaf
Fix this by checking hlist_unhashed(&blkg->blkcg_node) before getting a reference to the blkg. This is the same check used in blkg_destroy() to detect if a blkg has already been destroyed. If the blkg is already unhashed, skip processing it since it's being destroyed.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90325?
How do I fix CVE-2026-90325?
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-2026-90325 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90325 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-102555, BELL-CVE-2026-90325, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90325, GHSA-5ghq-73f5-5j56, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90325.