Skip to content

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been...

High severity Unreviewed Published Jul 25, 2026 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jul 27, 2026

Package

No package listedSuggest a package

Affected versions

Unknown

Patched versions

Unknown

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

writeback: fix race between cgroup_writeback_umount() and inode_switch_wbs()

When a container exits, the following BUG_ON() is occasionally triggered:

==================================================================
VFS: Busy inodes after unmount of sdb (ext4)
------------[ cut here ]------------
kernel BUG at fs/super.c:695!
CPU: 3 PID: 6 Comm: containerd-shim Tainted: G OE K 6.6 #1
pstate: 63400009 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO +TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
pc : generic_shutdown_super+0xf0/0x100
lr : generic_shutdown_super+0xf0/0x100
Call trace:
generic_shutdown_super+0xf0/0x100
kill_block_super+0x20/0x48
ext4_kill_sb+0x28/0x60
deactivate_locked_super+0x54/0x130
deactivate_super+0x84/0xa0
cleanup_mnt+0xa4/0x140
__cleanup_mnt+0x18/0x28
task_work_run+0x78/0xe0
do_notify_resume+0x204/0x240

The root cause is a race between cgroup_writeback_umount() and
inode_switch_wbs()/cleanup_offline_cgwb(). There is a window between
inode_prepare_wbs_switch() returning true and the subsequent
wb_queue_isw() call. Following is the process that triggers the issue:

  CPU A (umount)           |          CPU B (writeback)
                                 inode_switch_wbs/cleanup_offline_cgwb
                                  atomic_inc(&isw_nr_in_flight)
                                  inode_prepare_wbs_switch
                                   -> passes SB_ACTIVE check
                                   __iget(inode)
 generic_shutdown_super
  sb->s_flags &= ~SB_ACTIVE
  cgroup_writeback_umount(sb)
   smp_mb()
   atomic_read(&isw_nr_in_flight)
   rcu_barrier()
    -> no pending RCU callbacks
   flush_workqueue(isw_wq)
    -> nothing queued, returns
  evict_inodes(sb)
   -> Inode skipped as isw still holds a ref.
  sop->put_super(sb)
   /* destroys percpu counters */
  -> VFS: Busy inodes after unmount!
                                  wb_queue_isw()
                                   queue_work(isw_wq, ...)
                                  /* later in work function */
                                  inode_switch_wbs_work_fn
                                   process_inode_switch_wbs
                                    iput() -> evict
                                     percpu_counter_dec() // UAF!

Fix this by extending the RCU read-side critical section in
inode_switch_wbs() and cleanup_offline_cgwb() to cover from
inode_prepare_wbs_switch() through wb_queue_isw().  Since there is
no sleep in this window, rcu_read_lock() can be used.  Then add a
synchronize_rcu() in cgroup_writeback_umount() before the existing
rcu_barrier(), so that all in-flight switchers that have passed the
SB_ACTIVE check have completed queue_work() before flush_workqueue()
is called.

The existing rcu_barrier() is intentionally retained so this fix can
be backported unchanged to stable kernels (5.10.y, 6.6.y, ...) that
still queue switches via queue_rcu_work(). It is a no-op on current
mainline (since commit e1b849cfa6b6 ("writeback: Avoid contention on
wb->list_lock when switching inodes")) and is removed in a follow-up
patch.
### References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64378
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/087d5b8b501c570f84bf655164e6698c3ce146e0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c9c9648f77e4d14e50676bc51c2174ba9c8d361
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53eeaf4d63068dbc7708b0c7adb20151c812feca
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c3265f3252b2ee50707adaaa3f9bd0df3df72de
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/685fc15a410885b6d4dee64de0dce721b9428b12
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c923cc3cb5cd8945ceaf08252754110643446593
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cba38ec4cbd3a7b8b942a8d52531a05be8a9ff0d
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jul 25, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jul 25, 2026
Last updated Jul 27, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(7th percentile)

Weaknesses

No CWEs

CVE ID

CVE-2026-64378

GHSA ID

GHSA-325c-m2q7-75hg

Source code

No known source code

Dependabot alerts are not supported on this advisory because it does not have a package from a supported ecosystem with an affected and fixed version.

Learn more about GitHub language support

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.