Kernel state corruption via NMI-unsafe random selection
Published Jun 25, 2026 · Updated Jun 25, 2026
Race condition in Linux Kernel allows local users to corrupt per-CPU random state by triggering memcg charge draining during an NMI. Within refill_stock(), get_random_u32_below() acquires a per-CPU local lock and updates batched ChaCha entropy state even though the function is neither reentrant nor NMI-safe. Low-privilege execution that can drive memcg stock eviction and NMI-capable activity is required; successful timing can undermine kernel randomness or cause unpredictable kernel failure.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in Linux Kernel allows local users to corrupt per-CPU random state by triggering memcg charge draining during an NMI. Within refill_stock(), get_random_u32_below() acquires a per-CPU local lock and updates batched ChaCha entropy state even though the function is neither reentrant nor NMI-safe. Low-privilege execution that can drive memcg stock eviction and NMI-capable activity is required; successful timing can undermine kernel randomness or cause unpredictable kernel failure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53162
- Published
- Jun 25, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 25, 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=6.16
- Affected versionversion=f735eebe55f8f61758fe014bd0b02ab50b059e4d <00731bd7e18f182a32ca54d6b176eaa470b51ed7
- Affected versionversion=f735eebe55f8f61758fe014bd0b02ab50b059e4d <89bd8215e25aa6999cc51696da418e0d422bc5e0
- Affected versionversion=f735eebe55f8f61758fe014bd0b02ab50b059e4d <c0cafe24d3f6534294c4b2bc2d47734ff7cbd313
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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