HIGH Public PoC Introduced in 6.4
bad epoll
CVE-2026-46242
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
KernelScan AI7.4HIGH
01Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF ep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file->f_ep under file->f_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section (is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock). A concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in that window observed the transient NULL, skipped eventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op->release / file_free(). For the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op->release is ep_eventpoll_release() -> ep_clear_and_put() -> ep_free(), which kfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded ->refs hlist_head is exactly where epi->fllink.pprev points, so the subsequent hlist_del_rcu()'s "*pprev = next" scribbles into freed kmalloc-192 memory. In addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot backing @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() -- reinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still nominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable kmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache. Pin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the critical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file cannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and transitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the hlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs. If the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its __fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep, that path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into eventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep->mtx until the waiter side's ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi's share of ep->refcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test() in ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under eventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up there. A successful pin also proves we are not racing eventpoll_release_file() on this epi, so drop the now-redundant re-check of epi->dying under f_lock. The cheap lockless READ_ONCE(epi->dying) fast-path bailout stays.
02KernelScan AI Analysis
Risk summary
Local unprivileged attackers can exploit a use-after-free vulnerability in the epoll subsystem to achieve arbitrary kernel memory corruption. The bug requires winning a race condition between epoll watch removal and file descriptor teardown, but successful exploitation allows writing to freed memory and potential privilege escalation.
Vulnerability analysis
The vulnerability stems from a race condition in ep_remove() where file->f_ep is cleared under f_lock but the file pointer continues to be used afterward. A concurrent __fput() can observe the transient NULL f_ep, skip cleanup, and free the underlying eventpoll structure while ep_remove() is still accessing it via hlist_del_rcu(). This creates two UAF scenarios: writing to freed kmalloc memory through the freed eventpoll's embedded hlist_head, and potential type confusion due to SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU recycling of the file structure. The fix pins the file reference via epi_fget() before the critical section, ensuring the file and transitively the eventpoll structure remain alive during the operation.
Exploit availability
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Lifecycle
03Fix Versions
| Branch | Introduced | Fixed in | Patch commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.15 | 5.15.209 | 5.15.222 | a10fbbe74e1c |
| 6.1 | 6.1.175 | 6.1.178 | 3e1144d2515d |
| 6.12 | 6.4 | 6.12.95 | 9324de74a3a5 |
| 6.18 | 6.4 | 6.18.33 | ef4ca02e9536 |
| 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.6.144 | 2de4db145b29 |
| 7.0 | 6.4 | 7.0.10 | ced39b6a8062 |
| mainline | 6.4 | 7.1 | a6dc643c6931 |
| cip/6.1 | 6.4 | 6.1.182-cip59 | 3e1144d2515d |
| cip/6.1-rt | 6.4 | 6.1.182-cip59-rt31 | 3e1144d2515d |
| cip/6.12 | 6.4 | 6.12.95-cip27 | 9324de74a3a5 |
04CIP Kernels
State of the newest release of each Civil Infrastructure Platform SLTS tree, from CIP's own fix records.
| CIP tree | State |
|---|---|
| cip/6.12 | Fixed in 6.12.95-cip27 |
| cip/6.1 | Fixed in 6.1.182-cip59 |
| cip/6.1-rt | Fixed in 6.1.182-cip59-rt31 |