Local denial of service via stale futex pointer
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Apr 24, 2026
Stale-pointer handling in the Linux kernel futex PI path allows local users to interrupt service by racing an exiting futex owner. After wait_for_owner_exiting consumes the referenced task, futex_lock_pi leaves exiting uncleared and can pass that stale pointer back after a retry returns a different error. The race requires concurrent PI futex operations and owner exit; the documented result is a kernel warning and availability loss, with no reported data disclosure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Stale-pointer handling in the Linux kernel futex PI path allows local users to interrupt service by racing an exiting futex owner. After wait_for_owner_exiting consumes the referenced task, futex_lock_pi leaves exiting uncleared and can pass that stale pointer back after a retry returns a different error. The race requires concurrent PI futex operations and owner exit; the documented result is a kernel warning and availability loss, with no reported data disclosure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-31555
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 24, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <210d36d892de5195e6766c45519dfb1e65f3eb83
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <33095ae3bdde5e5c264d7e88a2f3e7703a26c7aa
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <5e8e06bf8909e79b4acd950cf578cfc2f10bbefa
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <71112e62807d1925dc3ae6188b11f8cfc85aec23
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <7475dfad10a05a5bfadebf5f2499bd61b19ed293
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <92e47ad03e03dbb5515bdf06444bf6b1e147310d
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <de7c0c04ad868f2cee6671b11c0a6d20421af1da
- Affected versionversion=3ef240eaff36b8119ac9e2ea17cbf41179c930ba <e7824ec168d2ac883a213cd1f4d6cc0816002a85
- Affected versionversion=5.5
- Affected versionversion=61fa9f167caaa73d0a7c88f498eceeb12c6fa3db
- Affected versionversion=7874eee0130adf9bee28e8720bb5dd051089def3
- Affected versionversion=cf16e42709aa86aa3e37f3acc3d13d5715d90096
- Affected versionversion=f2a9957e5c08b1b1caacd18a3dc4c0a1bdb7b463
- Affected versionversion=fc3b55ef2c840bb2746b2d8121a0788de84f7fac
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Attacks
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