PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-46051 Linux CVE debrief

A soft lockup vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's md/raid5 driver, specifically within the retry_aligned_read() function. The issue arises when an overlapped stripe is encountered during read operations. The function releases the stripe via raid5_release_stripe(), placing it on a lockless released_stripes linked list. In subsequent raid5d loop iterations, release_stripe_list() moves the stripe to handle_list due to the STRIPE_HANDLE flag being set. However, retry_aligned_read() executes before handle_active_stripes() and removes the stripe from handle_list through find_get_stripe() -> list_del_init(). This prevents handle_stripe() from ever processing the stripe to resolve the overlap, resulting in an infinite loop and soft lockup condition. The vulnerability was resolved by modifying the failure path to use __release_stripe() with temp_inactive_list instead of raid5_release_stripe(), ensuring the stripe bypasses the released_stripes llist and allowing raid5d to exit its loop. The overlap is subsequently resolved when handle_stripe() processes the stripe.

Vendor: Linux
Product: Unknown
CVSS: MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV: Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published: 2026-05-27
Original CVE updated: 2026-06-16
Advisory published: 2026-05-27
Advisory updated: 2026-06-16

Who should care

System administrators managing Linux servers with md/raid5 configurations, kernel maintainers, distribution security teams, and organizations running storage infrastructure on Linux software RAID5 arrays.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is a race condition in the Linux kernel's Multiple Device (md) RAID5 driver. The retry_aligned_read() function mishandles stripe release when encountering overlapped stripes, causing an infinite loop in the raid5d kernel thread. The root cause is improper list management: stripes released via raid5_release_stripe() are requeued to handle_list, but retry_aligned_read() removes them before handle_active_stripes() can process them, preventing overlap resolution. The fix replaces raid5_release_stripe() with __release_stripe() using temp_inactive_list in the failure path, breaking the infinite loop and allowing proper stripe processing.

Defensive priority

high

Recommended defensive actions

Apply kernel updates from distribution vendors containing the md/raid5 fix for retry_aligned_read()
Monitor stable kernel releases for backported patches to affected versions
Review systems utilizing md/raid5 for signs of soft lockup events in kernel logs
Prioritize patching on systems with heavy RAID5 I/O workloads
Validate kernel version post-update to confirm inclusion of fix commits

Evidence notes

Vulnerability description and fix details sourced from official CVE record and NVD entry. Multiple kernel.org stable tree commits provided as references indicate backports to affected stable kernel branches.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

CVE-2026-46051 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46051

CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
CVE-2026-46051 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46051

NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09880592f5a9dc73377d6eb5ac123537b5f8df49

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1985cb3247e87ff6b8ca4bc5f9626f4f51024507

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f9f7c697474268d9ef9479df3ddfe7cdcfbbffc

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/80fc6ca2cbde018d52e13f305edcd643911bd94b

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Source reference
Unverified legacy reference

URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/883cc33b7af1c448663287f069ef9dfea001e90f

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.