bpf: Fix infinite loop in pcpu_freelist push with one possible CPU
CVE-2026-89991 is fixed in 20 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89991, released September 23, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix infinite loop in pcpu_freelist push with one possible CPU __pcpu_freelist_push() can loop forever when only one CPU is possible and an NMI re-enters pcpu_freelist_push() while the interrupted context holds that CPU's freelist lock. After the current-CPU fast path fails, the fallback loop walks cpu_possible_mask while skipping the current CPU. With CONFIG_SMP=n, or when an SMP kernel is limited to one possible CPU with nr_cpus=1 or possible_cpus=1, there are no other possible CPUs to examine. The loop therefore makes no lock acquisition attempt and can never make progress. The following stack was observed on a UP system: NMI context: pcpu_freelist_push free_htab_elem htab_map_delete_elem [perf-event BPF program] __perf_event_overflow perf_event_nmi_handler exc_nmi Interrupted context: __pcpu_freelist_push pcpu_freelist_push free_htab_elem htab_map_delete_elem [raw_tp/sys_enter BPF program] __bpf_trace_sys_enter do_syscall_64 raw_res_spin_lock() detects the same-CPU recursive acquisition and returns -EDEADLK, but the subsequent fallback loop has no candidate head on a system with one possible CPU. Restore the extra fallback head that existed before the rqspinlock conversion. Keep the current-CPU fast path, then try the other possible CPUs and finally the extra head. The additional head lets a push, which cannot fail without losing a preallocated element, make progress when the only per-CPU head is held by the interrupted context. Also check the extra head from the pop path so that nodes placed there can be reused.
Where it's fixed
| Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | |||
| bpftool6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| bpftool6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel-livepatch-6.18.51-120.162 · amzn 2023 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-aarch64 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-x86_64 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-devel · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-headers · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-modules-extra · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-modules-extra-common · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-tools · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-tools-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.18-tools-devel · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| linux · Debian 14 | 7.2.6-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89991 | Sep 23, 2026 |
| microvm-kernel6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| perf6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| perf6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| python3-perf6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| python3-perf6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3187 | Nov 7, 2026 |
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