CVE-2026-46173

Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: exit: prevent preemption of oopsing TASK_DEAD task When an already-exiting task oopses, make_task_dead() currently calls do_task_dead() with preemption enabled. That is forbidden: do_task_dead() calls __schedule(), which has a comment saying "WARNING: must be called with preemption disabled!". If an oopsing task is preempted in do_task_dead(), between becoming TASK_DEAD and entering the scheduler explicitly, bad things happen: finish_task_switch() assumes that once the scheduler has switched away from a TASK_DEAD task, the task can never run again and its stack is no longer needed; but that assumption apparently doesn't hold if the dead task was preempted (the SM_PREEMPT case). This means that the scheduler ends up repeatedly dropping references on the dead task's stack, which can lead to use-after-free or double-free of the entire task stack; in other words, two tasks can end up running on the same stack, resulting in various kinds of memory corruption. (This does not just affect "recursively oopsing" tasks; it is enough to oops once during task exit, for example in a file_operations::release handler)

Metrics

Severity
high
no public PoC known
7.8
Source: cna-v3
2.6 %
Low — this CVE sits in the lower 10% of all CVEs scored today.
0.1 %
Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
Published
2026-09-07 09:05 UTC

Reanalysis & status changes

Chronological NVD audit events for this CVE — reanalyses, CVSS updates, CPE diffs.

  1. CVE Modified2026-09-08 09:18 UTC· 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
    • Reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d6fb8a7690c23e3213c4b008f64d89a44b98737
    • Reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/640b4c00fb0e2920327435f6176cbefc3c546165
    • Reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f49f94f3b11fe8bff1bf2a054143789e76aaf17
    • Reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b2800ba5f5f77a8ee7f4cbadb19cf1264597a34
  2. CVE Modified2026-09-08 09:18 UTC· 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
    • Affected: New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/46xxx/CVE-2026-46173.json">CVE-2026-46173</a>
    • Reference: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html
  3. Initial Analysis2026-06-10 21:11 UTC· nvd@nist.gov
    • CWE: CWE-787
    • CPE Configuration: OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.13 up to (excluding) 6.18.30 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.19 up to (excluding) 7.0.7 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.7 up to (excluding) 6.12.88 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.2 up to (excluding) 6.6.140 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.17 up to (excluding) 6.1.175
    • Reference Type: kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d6fb8a7690c23e3213c4b008f64d89a44b98737 Types: Patch
    • Reference Type: kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/640b4c00fb0e2920327435f6176cbefc3c546165 Types: Patch

Affected operating systems

  • linux

    redhat / enterprise_linux10.0

  • linux

    redhat / enterprise_linux7.0

  • linux

    redhat / enterprise_linux8.0

  • linux

    redhat / enterprise_linux9.0

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-aws-6.8jammy

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azureresolute

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azuretrusty

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azurexenial

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-4.15bionic

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-5.4bionic

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fdenoble

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fderesolute

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fde-6.8jammy

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fipsbionic

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fipsfocal

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-azure-fipsnoble

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-fipsjammy

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-gcp-7.0noble

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-gkejammy

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-nvidia-tegranoble

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-raspinoble

  • linux

    ubuntu / linux-raspi-realtimenoble

  • linux

    linux / linux_kernel2.6.12

  • linux

    linux / linux_kernel2.6.15

References & sources

Linked CVEs

Show 1392 more CVEs
IDCVE-2026-46173
Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities — CVE-2026-46173 | NEOSEC Intel