HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-52946
HIGH

CVE-2026-52946

Published: June 24, 2026· Updated: Jun 29, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.18%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:8.2th

Official Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs/fcntl: fix SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order in fasync signaling

A SOFTIRQ-safe to SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order deadlock can occur in

send_sigio() and send_sigurg() when a process group receives a signal.

When FASYNC is configured for a process group (PIDTYPE_PGID), both

functions use read_lock(&tasklist_lock) to traverse the task list.

However, they are frequently called from softirq context:

- send_sigio() via input_inject_event -> kill_fasync

- send_sigurg() via tcp_check_urg -> sk_send_sigurg (NET_RX_SOFTIRQ)

The deadlock is caused by the rwlock writer fairness mechanism:

1. CPU 0 (process context) holds read_lock(&tasklist_lock) in do_wait().

2. CPU 1 (process context) attempts write_lock(&tasklist_lock) in

fork() or exit() and spins, which blocks all new readers.

3. CPU 0 is interrupted by a softirq (e.g., TCP URG packet reception).

4. The softirq calls send_sigurg() and attempts to acquire

read_lock(&tasklist_lock), deadlocking because CPU 1 is waiting.

Since PID hashing and do_each_pid_task() traversals are already

RCU-protected, the read_lock on tasklist_lock is no longer strictly

required for safe traversal. Fix this by replacing tasklist_lock with

rcu_read_lock(), aligning the process group signaling path with the

single-PID path. This also mitigates a potential remote denial of

service vector via TCP URG packets.

Lockdep splat:

=====================================================

WARNING: SOFTIRQ-safe -> SOFTIRQ-unsafe lock order detected

[...]

Chain exists of:

&dev->event_lock --> &f_owner->lock --> tasklist_lock

Possible interrupt unsafe locking scenario:

CPU0 CPU1

---- ----

lock(tasklist_lock);

local_irq_disable();

lock(&dev->event_lock);

lock(&f_owner->lock);

<Interrupt>

lock(&dev->event_lock);

*** DEADLOCK ***

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-52946 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Mentioned vendors (from description):
Linux
CPE data not yet available in NVD for this CVE.

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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All References (9)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-52946
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.18%
PublishedJun 24, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-52946 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.