KernelScan.io

HIGH

input uinput Force-Feedback Race

CVE-2026-31667

CVSS 7.8 / 10.0 NVD

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

KernelScan AI7.8HIGH

01

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Input: uinput - fix circular locking dependency with ff-core A lockdep circular locking dependency warning can be triggered reproducibly when using a force-feedback gamepad with uinput (for example, playing ELDEN RING under Wine with a Flydigi Vader 5 controller): ff->mutex -> udev->mutex -> input_mutex -> dev->mutex -> ff->mutex The cycle is caused by four lock acquisition paths: 1. ff upload: input_ff_upload() holds ff->mutex and calls uinput_dev_upload_effect() -> uinput_request_submit() -> uinput_request_send(), which acquires udev->mutex. 2. device create: uinput_ioctl_handler() holds udev->mutex and calls uinput_create_device() -> input_register_device(), which acquires input_mutex. 3. device register: input_register_device() holds input_mutex and calls kbd_connect() -> input_register_handle(), which acquires dev->mutex. 4. evdev release: evdev_release() calls input_flush_device() under dev->mutex, which calls input_ff_flush() acquiring ff->mutex. Fix this by introducing a new state_lock spinlock to protect udev->state and udev->dev access in uinput_request_send() instead of acquiring udev->mutex. The function only needs to atomically check device state and queue an input event into the ring buffer via uinput_dev_event() -- both operations are safe under a spinlock (ktime_get_ts64() and wake_up_interruptible() do not sleep). This breaks the ff->mutex -> udev->mutex link since a spinlock is a leaf in the lock ordering and cannot form cycles with mutexes. To keep state transitions visible to uinput_request_send(), protect writes to udev->state in uinput_create_device() and uinput_destroy_device() with the same state_lock spinlock. Additionally, move init_completion(&request->done) from uinput_request_send() to uinput_request_submit() before uinput_request_reserve_slot(). Once the slot is allocated, uinput_flush_requests() may call complete() on it at any time from the destroy path, so the completion must be initialised before the request becomes visible. Lock ordering after the fix: ff->mutex -> state_lock (spinlock, leaf) udev->mutex -> state_lock (spinlock, leaf) udev->mutex -> input_mutex -> dev->mutex -> ff->mutex (no back-edge)

02

Engine v0.2.0

Risk summary

This vulnerability can cause system deadlocks when using force-feedback input devices through the uinput interface. An attacker with local access could potentially trigger this condition to cause denial of service by making the system unresponsive. The impact is primarily availability-focused, as the circular locking dependency can freeze affected processes or the entire system.

Affecteddrivers/input/misc/uinput.c

Vulnerability analysis

Root Cause: A circular locking dependency exists in the uinput force-feedback subsystem where four different code paths acquire locks in different orders: ff->mutex → udev->mutex → input_mutex → dev->mutex → ff->mutex. This creates a deadlock cycle when force-feedback operations, device creation, device registration, and event device release operations occur concurrently.

Attack Surface: This vulnerability affects local processes that use uinput devices with force-feedback capabilities. It requires the ability to create uinput devices and trigger force-feedback operations, typically through gaming applications or input device emulation software. The attack surface is limited to local access with appropriate permissions to access input devices.

Fix Mechanism: The patch breaks the circular dependency by replacing the udev->mutex acquisition in uinput_request_send() with a new state_lock spinlock. Since spinlocks are leaf locks in the kernel's lock ordering hierarchy, they cannot form cycles with mutexes. The patch also moves completion initialization earlier to prevent race conditions during request slot allocation and ensures state transitions are properly synchronized.

03

BranchFixed inPatch commit
5.105.10.25371a9729f412e
5.155.15.203271ee71a1917
6.16.1.169974f7b138c3a
6.126.12.82a3d6c9c053c9
6.186.18.231e09dfbb4f5d
6.196.19.131534661043c4
6.66.6.135546c18a14924
mainline7.04cda78d6f8bf