CVE-2026-68286
Received Received - Intake

Race Condition in Linux Kernel Drop Monitor

Publication date: 2026-08-10

Last updated on: 2026-08-10

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drop_monitor: perform u64_stats updates under IRQ-disabled section In net_dm_packet_trace_kfree_skb_hit() and net_dm_hw_trap_packet_probe(), u64_stats_update_begin() / u64_stats_inc() / u64_stats_update_end() were called after spin_unlock_irqrestore(&...drop_queue.lock, flags), when local IRQs had already been re-enabled. Tracepoint probes can execute in IRQ or softirq context. On 32-bit architectures, u64_stats_update_begin() disables preemption but not interrupts, relying on seqcount writes. If a nested interrupt occurs on the same CPU during the 64-bit stats update, the reentrant seqcount update can corrupt the seqcount state or stats value. Fix this by performing the 64-bit per-CPU stats update before releasing drop_queue.lock via spin_unlock_irqrestore(), ensuring local interrupts remain disabled during the u64_stats update.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-10
Last Modified
2026-08-10
Generated
2026-08-10
AI Q&A
2026-08-10
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-68286
EUVD
EUVD-2026-55387

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves incorrect handling of 64-bit per-CPU statistics updates in the drop_monitor subsystem. The issue occurs when u64_stats functions are called after releasing a lock with interrupts enabled, which can lead to corruption of statistics or seqcount state if a nested interrupt occurs during the update on 32-bit systems.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's drop_monitor functionality and requires kernel code inspection or runtime detection methods. No direct detection commands are provided in the context. Review kernel logs for related errors or monitor for abnormal behavior in network drop monitoring.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to incorrect network packet drop statistics, potentially causing monitoring tools to report inaccurate data. In severe cases, it might result in system instability or crashes on affected 32-bit architectures due to corrupted seqcount state or statistics.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that resolves this issue by ensuring u64_stats updates occur under IRQ-disabled sections. Update your Linux kernel to a version containing the fix. Monitor vendor advisories for backported fixes if using a stable release.

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