CVE-2026-98818

What the bug is

Since kfree_rcu() can be called under pi_lock (a raw spinlock in the scheduler), kfree_rcu() itself should never allocate memory with __GFP_KSWAPD_RECLAIM as waking up kswapd ends up acquiring pi_lock, which leads to a deadlock. Reproducing the issue even intentionally was not straightforward. The set_cpus_allowed_force() path that is called under pi_lock is exercised very rarely, and competing tasks that allocate memory will most likely wake kswapd up. Therefore the existence of the deadlock was verified with a modified kernel that has a lockdep map for waking up kswapd: ====================================================== WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected 7.2.0-rc1-slab-for-next+ #10 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ git/6660 is trying to acquire lock: ffff8e524533c550 (&p->pi_lock){-.-.}-{2:2}, at: _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x12/0x20 but task is already holding lock: ffff8e57bffff1a0 (&pgdat->kswapd_wait){....}-{3:3}, at: _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x12/0x20 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #2 (&pgdat->kswapd_wait){....}-{3:3}: __lock_acquire+0x5a4/0xc50 lock_acquire.part.0+0xb7/0x240 lock_acquire+0x70/0x170 __raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x44/0x80 _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x12/0x20 __wake_up_common_lock+0x31/0xa0 __wake_up+0x20/0x40 kswapd_wakeup_wake+0x7e/0x110 wakeup_kswapd+0x295/0x320 wake_all_kswapds+0xac/0x1a0 __alloc_pages_slowpath.constprop.0+0x282/0xf80 __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x32a/0x360 alloc_slab_page+0x2e/0x160 allocate_slab+0x82/0x420 new_slab+0x52/0xb0 refill_objects+0x13d/0x190 refill_sheaf+0x5d/0xd0 __pcs_replace_empty_main+0x230/0xb10 [...] -> #1 (kswapd_wakeup){-.-.}-{0:0}: __lock_acquire+0x5a4/0xc50 lock_sync.part.0+0x75/0x100 lock_sync+0x36/0x70 might_wakeup_kswapd+0x61/0xa0 __kfree_rcu_sheaf+0x33/0xd90 kvfree_call_rcu+0x1d4/0x3b0 set_cpus_allowed_force+0x163/0x220 cpuset_cpus_allowed_fallback+0x18b/0x240 select_fallback_rq+0x1e6/0x250 [...] -> #0 (&p->pi_lock){-.-.}-{2:2}: check_prev_add+0xe6/0xe00 validate_chain+0x51e/0x6e0 __lock_acquire+0x5a4/0xc50 lock_acquire.part.0+0xb7/0x240 lock_acquire+0x70/0x170 __raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x44/0x80 _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x12/0x20 try_to_wake_up+0x77/0xa90 default_wake_function+0x27/0x60 autoremove_wake_function+0x23/0xb0 __wake_up_common+0xb8/0x170 __wake_up_common_lock+0x51/0xa0 __wake_up+0x20/0x40 kswapd_wakeup_wake+0x7e/0x110 wakeup_kswapd+0x295/0x320 wake_all_kswapds+0xac/0x1a0 __alloc_pages_slowpath.constprop.0+0x282/0xf80 __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x32a/0x360 alloc_slab_page+0x2e/0x160 allocate_slab+0x82/0x420 new_slab+0x52/0xb0 refill_objects+0x13d/0x190 refill_sheaf+0x5d/0xd0 __pcs_replace_empty_main+0x230/0xb10 [...] other info that might help us debug this: Chain exists of: &p->pi_lock --> kswapd_wakeup --> &pgdat->kswapd_wait Possible unsafe locking scenario: CPU0 CPU1 ---- ---- lock(&pgdat->kswapd_wait); lock(kswapd_wakeup); lock(&pgdat->kswapd_wait); lock(&p->pi_lock); *** DEADLOCK *** 3 locks held by git/6660: #0: ffff8e519f0e9e20 (&type->i_mutex_dir_key#6){++++}-{4:4}, at: lookup_slow+0x2d/0x60 #1: ffffffff8a31c460 (kswapd_wakeup){-.-.}- ---truncated---

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

mm/slub.c

What this is

SLAB ALLOCATORMAINTAINERS section matched on mm/slub.c · linux-mm@kvack.org · Maintained

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_SLUB /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this code. Every release below compiles the affected file into the kernels it ships.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sidy

y

built into the kernel image on every flavour - only a patch removes it

Build switch

CONFIG_SLUB

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-10-18 (today)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

not scored

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

unimportantsource

Subsystem

mm

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
6.18	7.2.10	46545c86b54f
6.18	7.3	af2fb3ee6679