CVE-2026-23368

MEDIUM EPSS 0.8%
Published Mar 25, 20263mo ago · Modified Jun 17, 20262w ago
5.5 CVSS 3.1
Medium
Find Similar
Published Mar 25, 2026 3mo ago
Last Modified Jun 17, 2026 2w ago

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phy: register phy led_triggers during probe to avoid AB-BA deadlock There is an AB-BA deadlock when both LEDS_TRIGGER_NETDEV and LED_TRIGGER_PHY are enabled: [ 1362.049207] [<8054e4b8>] led_trigger_register+0x5c/0x1fc <-- Trying to get lock "triggers_list_lock" via down_write(&triggers_list_lock); [ 1362.054536] [<80662830>] phy_led_triggers_register+0xd0/0x234 [ 1362.060329] [<8065e200>] phy_attach_direct+0x33c/0x40c [ 1362.065489] [<80651fc4>] phylink_fwnode_phy_connect+0x15c/0x23c [ 1362.071480] [<8066ee18>] mtk_open+0x7c/0xba0 [ 1362.075849] [<806d714c>] __dev_open+0x280/0x2b0 [ 1362.080384] [<806d7668>] __dev_change_flags+0x244/0x24c [ 1362.085598] [<806d7698>] dev_change_flags+0x28/0x78 [ 1362.090528] [<807150e4>] dev_ioctl+0x4c0/0x654 <-- Hold lock "rtnl_mutex" by calling rtnl_lock(); [ 1362.094985] [<80694360>] sock_ioctl+0x2f4/0x4e0 [ 1362.099567] [<802e9c4c>] sys_ioctl+0x32c/0xd8c [ 1362.104022] [<80014504>] syscall_common+0x34/0x58 Here LED_TRIGGER_PHY is registering LED triggers during phy_attach while holding RTNL and then taking triggers_list_lock. [ 1362.191101] [<806c2640>] register_netdevice_notifier+0x60/0x168 <-- Trying to get lock "rtnl_mutex" via rtnl_lock(); [ 1362.197073] [<805504ac>] netdev_trig_activate+0x194/0x1e4 [ 1362.202490] [<8054e28c>] led_trigger_set+0x1d4/0x360 <-- Hold lock "triggers_list_lock" by down_read(&triggers_list_lock); [ 1362.207511] [<8054eb38>] led_trigger_write+0xd8/0x14c [ 1362.212566] [<80381d98>] sysfs_kf_bin_write+0x80/0xbc [ 1362.217688] [<8037fcd8>] kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x17c/0x28c [ 1362.223174] [<802cbd70>] vfs_write+0x21c/0x3c4 [ 1362.227712] [<802cc0c4>] ksys_write+0x78/0x12c [ 1362.232164] [<80014504>] syscall_common+0x34/0x58 Here LEDS_TRIGGER_NETDEV is being enabled on an LED. It first takes triggers_list_lock and then RTNL. A classical AB-BA deadlock. phy_led_triggers_registers() does not require the RTNL, it does not make any calls into the network stack which require protection. There is also no requirement the PHY has been attached to a MAC, the triggers only make use of phydev state. This allows the call to phy_led_triggers_registers() to be placed elsewhere. PHY probe() and release() don't hold RTNL, so solving the AB-BA deadlock.

CVSS Details

Base Score
5.5
Exploitability
1.8
Impact
3.6
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector Local
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required Low
User Interaction None
Scope Unchanged
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability High

Threat Intelligence

EPSS Exploit Probability
0.8% percentile
Exploit & Patch Status
No Known Exploit
Patch Available

Weaknesses 1

CWE-667

Affected Products 15

VendorProductVersionRange
linuxlinux_kernel*≥4.16.1  –  <5.10.253
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.11  –  <5.15.203
linuxlinux_kernel*≥5.16  –  <6.1.167
linuxlinux_kernel*≥6.2  –  <6.6.130
linuxlinux_kernel*≥6.7  –  <6.12.78
linuxlinux_kernel*≥6.13  –  <6.18.17
linuxlinux_kernel*≥6.19  –  <6.19.7
linuxlinux_kernel4.16any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any
linuxlinux_kernel7.0any

References 8

  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/241cd64cf2e32b28ead151b1795cd8fef2b6e482
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2764dcb3c35de4410f642afc62cf979727470575
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b01518eabace18f7ec8b4cafd52082303080dca
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/305afdd02ff3e694c165457793104710ec0728e5
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c33523b8fd2d4c504ada18cd93f511f2a8f84217
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c6ffc2d2338d325e1edd0c702e3ee623aa5fdc6a
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8dbdc6e380e7e96a51706db3e4b7870d8a9402d
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cde2d0b5ab5d03b5b6f17d4f654d8b30ccf36757
    Patch

Remediation

  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/241cd64cf2e32b28ead151b1795cd8fef2b6e482
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2764dcb3c35de4410f642afc62cf979727470575
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b01518eabace18f7ec8b4cafd52082303080dca
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/305afdd02ff3e694c165457793104710ec0728e5
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c33523b8fd2d4c504ada18cd93f511f2a8f84217
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c6ffc2d2338d325e1edd0c702e3ee623aa5fdc6a
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8dbdc6e380e7e96a51706db3e4b7870d8a9402d
    Patch
  • git.kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cde2d0b5ab5d03b5b6f17d4f654d8b30ccf36757
    Patch