System hang via timer migration livelock
Published Jun 25, 2026 · Updated Jun 25, 2026
Timer-migration livelock in Linux Kernel allows remote attackers to hang affected systems via fragmented IPv4 or IPv6 traffic. In kernel/time/timer_migration.c, tmigr_handle_remote_cpu() skips timer_expire_remote() for the current CPU after jiffies advances, leaving an expired timer queued while the retry loop spins indefinitely. Unauthenticated fragmented packets can create the relevant global timers; successful triggering causes an indefinite kernel soft-lockup and service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Timer-migration livelock in Linux Kernel allows remote attackers to hang affected systems via fragmented IPv4 or IPv6 traffic. In kernel/time/timer_migration.c, tmigr_handle_remote_cpu() skips timer_expire_remote() for the current CPU after jiffies advances, leaving an expired timer queued while the retry loop spins indefinitely. Unauthenticated fragmented packets can create the relevant global timers; successful triggering causes an indefinite kernel soft-lockup and service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53180
- Published
- Jun 25, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-667, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.9
- Affected versionversion=7ee988770326fca440472200c3eb58935fe712f6 <07b3b83587fb3012619f4439389b64a955fc7836
- Affected versionversion=7ee988770326fca440472200c3eb58935fe712f6 <1d6c2062b77be09ec15d6bf637b2e2221c4482fc
- Affected versionversion=7ee988770326fca440472200c3eb58935fe712f6 <d338e61ea94052a786aac9f58e9f0d8520afa0fd
- Affected versionversion=7ee988770326fca440472200c3eb58935fe712f6 <d486b4934a8e504376b85cdb3766f306d57aff5b
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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