Memory corruption via queue-limit allocation race
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
A race in the NVMe target in Linux 6.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via concurrent queue-limit updates. nvmet_alloc_ctrl() sizes its queue array before registering the controller, allowing nvmet_subsys_attr_qid_max_store() to raise max_qid without deleting that controller; nvmet_install_queue() then indexes beyond the allocation using the larger limit. Triggering requires an enabled NVMe target, privileged configfs write access, and concurrent controller creation; the published consequence is out-of-bounds memory access, not demonstrated code execution.
Summary
What happened
A race in the NVMe target in Linux 6.1 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via concurrent queue-limit updates. nvmet_alloc_ctrl() sizes its queue array before registering the controller, allowing nvmet_subsys_attr_qid_max_store() to raise max_qid without deleting that controller; nvmet_install_queue() then indexes beyond the allocation using the larger limit. Triggering requires an enabled NVMe target, privileged configfs write access, and concurrent controller creation; the published consequence is out-of-bounds memory access, not demonstrated code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90206
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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=3e980f5995e0bb4d86fef873a9c9ad66721580d0 <2c23fc91789dfd9db746edb3ae9b90d65fabd410
- Affected versionversion=3e980f5995e0bb4d86fef873a9c9ad66721580d0 <f1a8846e06388113dfdbb89dee005083fa9afdf9
- Affected versionversion=6.1
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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