Kernel crash via premature blk-cgroup reference release
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Apr 24, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel blk-cgroup writeback release path allows local users to crash the kernel through a narrow race. cgwb_release_workfn() drops the wb->blkcg_css reference with css_put() before blkcg_unpin_online() writes through that pointer, so asynchronous CSS cleanup can free the blkcg first. Reaching the invalid write requires local low-privileged access and precise timing during cgroup writeback release; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel blk-cgroup writeback release path allows local users to crash the kernel through a narrow race. cgwb_release_workfn() drops the wb->blkcg_css reference with css_put() before blkcg_unpin_online() writes through that pointer, so asynchronous CSS cleanup can free the blkcg first. Reaching the invalid write requires local low-privileged access and precise timing during cgroup writeback release; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-31586
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-416, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <50879a3c1faf06e661090015d59e2127255cff27
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <67cb119d32f35e32acd0393bbeb318b2bb1fdafe
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dfc8292a1d6782c76b626315605e0585a5a18447
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ea3af09eb87d8f8708c66747fcf1a2762902e839
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
- repro_blkcg_uaf.shproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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