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9.8
CRITICAL CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-72069
locking/rt: Fix the incorrect RCU protection in rt_spin_unlock()
Overview
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: locking/rt: Fix the incorrect RCU protection in rt_spin_unlock() rt_spin_unlock() releases the RCU protection before unlocking the lock. That opens the door for the following UAF scenario: T1 T2 spin_lock(&p->lock); rcu_read_lock(); invalidate(p); p = rcu_dereference(ptr); rcu_assign_pointer(ptr, NULL); if (!p) return; spin_unlock(&p->lock); spin_lock(&p->lock) lock(&lock->lock); rcu_read_lock(); kfree_rcu(p); rcu_read_unlock(); .... spin_unlock(&p->lock) rcu_read_unlock(); // Ends grace period rcu_do_batch() kfree(p); UAF -> rt_mutex_cmpxchg_release(&lock->lock...) Regular spinlocks keep preemption disabled accross the unlock operation, which provides full RCU protection, but the RT substitution fails to resemble that. Same applies for the rwlock substitution. Move the rcu_read_unlock() invocation past the unlock operations to match the non-RT semantics. This makes it asymmetric vs. rt_xxx_lock(), but that's harmless as the caller needs to hold RCU read lock across the lock operation. The migrate_enable() call stays before the unlock operation because there is no per CPU operation in the unlock path which would require migration to be kept disabled.

Details
INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 15, 2026, 6:21 a.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 17, 2026, 6:18 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Impact
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-72069 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
: Total Affected Vendor : 1 | Products : 1
Scoring
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 CRITICAL 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Solution
Update the Linux kernel to fix RCU protection issues in rt_spin_unlock.
  • Apply the kernel patch for rt_spin_unlock.
  • Verify RCU protection is correctly handled.
  • Ensure lock operations are properly sequenced.
References
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-72069.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f0d56d3f1e88f20f6e46109402f8c15d59bac37
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3cfaac77b3c32ac3940df28866de263c3f45d24c
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/633cadbc0b8323f5cc140a285d2432089dbb534e
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f9fb561c1c3917e19f95523dd933c7d30291aa
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89038cc87d80c77e7aa6f42a64b2573b74af339f
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-72069 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-72069 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-72069 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-72069 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Aug. 17, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Changed Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '3cfaac77b3c32ac3940df28866de263c3f45d24c', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '1f0d56d3f1e88f20f6e46109402f8c15d59bac37', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '633cadbc0b8323f5cc140a285d2432089dbb534e', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '83f9fb561c1c3917e19f95523dd933c7d30291aa', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '89038cc87d80c77e7aa6f42a64b2573b74af339f', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.15'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '5.15', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.148', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc1', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '3cfaac77b3c32ac3940df28866de263c3f45d24c', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '1f0d56d3f1e88f20f6e46109402f8c15d59bac37', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '633cadbc0b8323f5cc140a285d2432089dbb534e', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '83f9fb561c1c3917e19f95523dd933c7d30291aa', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '89038cc87d80c77e7aa6f42a64b2573b74af339f', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.15'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '5.15', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.148', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Aug. 15, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '3cfaac77b3c32ac3940df28866de263c3f45d24c', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '1f0d56d3f1e88f20f6e46109402f8c15d59bac37', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '633cadbc0b8323f5cc140a285d2432089dbb534e', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '83f9fb561c1c3917e19f95523dd933c7d30291aa', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0f383b6dc96e976dfbf2721b0bf10bd96103b341', 'lessThan': '89038cc87d80c77e7aa6f42a64b2573b74af339f', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.15'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '5.15', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.148', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.101', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.40', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.5', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc1', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/locking/spinlock_rt.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: locking/rt: Fix the incorrect RCU protection in rt_spin_unlock() rt_spin_unlock() releases the RCU protection before unlocking the lock. That opens the door for the following UAF scenario: T1 T2 spin_lock(&p->lock); rcu_read_lock(); invalidate(p); p = rcu_dereference(ptr); rcu_assign_pointer(ptr, NULL); if (!p) return; spin_unlock(&p->lock); spin_lock(&p->lock) lock(&lock->lock); rcu_read_lock(); kfree_rcu(p); rcu_read_unlock(); .... spin_unlock(&p->lock) rcu_read_unlock(); // Ends grace period rcu_do_batch() kfree(p); UAF -> rt_mutex_cmpxchg_release(&lock->lock...) Regular spinlocks keep preemption disabled accross the unlock operation, which provides full RCU protection, but the RT substitution fails to resemble that. Same applies for the rwlock substitution. Move the rcu_read_unlock() invocation past the unlock operations to match the non-RT semantics. This makes it asymmetric vs. rt_xxx_lock(), but that's harmless as the caller needs to hold RCU read lock across the lock operation. The migrate_enable() call stays before the unlock operation because there is no per CPU operation in the unlock path which would require migration to be kept disabled.
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f0d56d3f1e88f20f6e46109402f8c15d59bac37
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3cfaac77b3c32ac3940df28866de263c3f45d24c
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/633cadbc0b8323f5cc140a285d2432089dbb534e
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83f9fb561c1c3917e19f95523dd933c7d30291aa
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89038cc87d80c77e7aa6f42a64b2573b74af339f
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
CVSS
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 9.8
Attack Vector
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