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CVE-2026-46304 Linux CVE debrief

A vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel, specifically in the nvmet subsystem. This vulnerability could lead to a recursive locking warning due to a flawed teardown path in the nvmet_ctrl_free function. The issue arises when nvmet_tcp_release_queue_work runs on nvmet-wq and drops the final controller reference through nvmet_cq_put, potentially triggering nvmet_ctrl_free. This triggers a flush of ctrl->async_event_work on the same nvmet-wq, leading to a possible recursive locking warning.

Vendor
Linux
Product
Unknown
CVSS
HIGH 7.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-06-08
Original CVE updated
2026-07-08
Advisory published
2026-06-08
Advisory updated
2026-07-08

Who should care

System administrators and users of Linux kernel versions affected by this vulnerability should be concerned. This vulnerability has the potential to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, as it can lead to a system crash or instability.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a recursive locking issue in the nvmet subsystem of the Linux kernel. The call chain leading to the issue is as follows: nvmet_tcp_schedule_release_queue, nvmet_tcp_release_queue, queue_work(nvmet_wq, &queue->release_work), nvmet_tcp_release_queue_work, nvmet_cq_put, nvmet_cq_destroy, nvmet_ctrl_put, nvmet_ctrl_free, and flush_work(&ctrl->async_event_work). This recursive locking issue can cause a system crash or instability.

Defensive priority

High

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability.
  • Apply the patches provided by the Linux kernel maintainers to address this issue.

Evidence notes

The evidence for this vulnerability comes from the Linux kernel source code and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-46304 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46304

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-46304 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46304

    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/551f445a56a11a6457550cddcf39c9ebb8bcacc6

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/781f47d641432c26c19625b2cdd7f40825097592

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d66ba89480ff098a58d79003a505f383aa4e920

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a4d7222c0955b221e38bb66d10e6bccb672c8a1

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a696fbbd5240b4ac9b166f7bd4c550882ff543f1

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aade8abd8b868b6ffa9697aadaea28ec7f65bee6

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

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae5b0cad163833e10b271e9becc05d81dae56e5f

    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.