SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Live Feed
Back to database
Case File

CVE-2026-74601

HIGH · CVSS 7.8 EPSS 0.14%

Source: NVD + CISA KEV + EPSS · Published 2026-08-22 · Last synced 2026-09-18

CyberRota Analysis

AI-Generated

The vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's ring buffer management, specifically in the `ring_buffer_swap_cpu()` function, where a race condition allows for a buffer swap to occur while a write operation is still in progress. This can lead to an inconsistent buffer state, potentially causing data corruption or system instability. Linux system administrators and developers should prioritize this issue to ensure the integrity and reliability of their systems, especially in environments where real-time data processing is critical.

CVE
CVE-2026-74601
Severity
HIGH
CVSS
7.8
EPSS
0.14%
Linux

Original NVD Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ring-buffer: Use current_context for safe per-CPU buffer swap The ring_buffer_swap_cpu() function currently checks the per-CPU committing counter to determine if a buffer is actively being written to before performing the swap. However, there exists a race window where this check can be bypassed: ring_buffer_lock_reserve cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // cpu_buffer_a rb_reserve_next_event rb_start_commit // inc committing if (unlikely(READ_ONCE(cpu_buffer->buffer) != buffer)) {...} __rb_reserve_next rb_move_tail rb_end_commit(cpu_buffer); // dec committing => 0 /* interrupt hits here, successfully swaps! */ local_inc(&cpu_buffer->committing); ring_buffer_unlock_commit cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // cpu_buffer_b rb_commit rb_end_commit RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, !local_read(&cpu_buffer->committing)) // triggers warning The committing counter can temporarily drop to 0 during a single write operation (within rb_move_tail), creating a window where swap can succeed even though the write is still in progress. This leads to inconsistent buffer state and triggers the RB_WARN_ON in rb_commit(). Replace the committing counter check with current_context checks, which are set at the entry of ring_buffer_lock_reserve() and remain valid throughout the entire write operation, providing a reliable indicator of buffer busy state during swap.