published September 16, 2026
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.