# CVE-2026-89991: 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.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-89991
- Priority: High
- CVSS: n/a (important)
- EPSS: 0.0021
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Sep 16, 2026
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-89991

## Description

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

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | bpftool6.18 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | bpftool6.18-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel-livepatch-6.18.51-120.162 amzn 2023 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-aarch64 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-x86_64 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-devel amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-headers amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-modules-extra amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-modules-extra-common amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-tools amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-tools-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | kernel6.18-tools-devel amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.6-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89991](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-89991.md) | Sep 23, 2026 |
| Linux | microvm-kernel6.18 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | perf6.18 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | perf6.18-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | python3-perf6.18 amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |
| Linux | python3-perf6.18-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.51-120.162.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2026-3187](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2026-3187.md) | Nov 7, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T00:53:09Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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