Local kernel panic via note-pool publication race
Published Oct 28, 2026 · Updated Oct 28, 2026
A watch-queue race in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system by racing queue sizing with key notifications. In kernel/watch_queue.c, watch_queue_set_size() publishes pool fields without ordering, so post_one_notification() can observe a nonzero nr_notes before notes is initialized and dereference NULL. Exploitation requires notification-queue support and an unprivileged process watching its own key while racing queue sizing against key-permission changes on another CPU; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.
Summary
What happened
A watch-queue race in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system by racing queue sizing with key notifications. In kernel/watch_queue.c, watch_queue_set_size() publishes pool fields without ordering, so post_one_notification() can observe a nonzero nr_notes before notes is initialized and dereference NULL. Exploitation requires notification-queue support and an unprivileged process watching its own key while racing queue sizing against key-permission changes on another CPU; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel panic.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-99179
- Published
- Oct 28, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 28, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 28, 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=5.8
- Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <5e531d62f1f8834faf7a4eed0d41105cf6570a8f
- Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <811fb6d0b07605e8e8d93bde8748be4b3028809a
- Affected versionversion=c73be61cede5882f9605a852414db559c0ebedfd <9e73a6754457ffed8399b835552013b9363e51d1
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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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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