Linux Kernel Memory Management Vulnerability in RDMA Products

CVE-2026-98431

What is CVE-2026-98431?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's RDMA subsystem allows for a potential circular locking dependency between mmap and disassociate operations, leading to deadlock situations during thread execution. This issue arises from a mismanagement of locking mechanisms—specifically, the implementation of disassociation_lock alongside mmap_lock—causing a conflict. The resolution involves the removal of the disassociation_lock, leveraging the already existing hw_destroy_rwsem to ensure safe memory management without circular dependencies. Mitigation is necessary to prevent deadlocks and maintain system stability.

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