High · published October 6, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
posix-cpu-timers: Prevent freeing a timer which is queued on the expiry list
Kijo analyzed another race in the POSIX CPU timer code:
Commit bf635681c906 converted cpu_timer::firing from a tristate value to a
boolean. This lost the distinction between "not owned by the firing list"
and "still owned, but delivery was canceled". The resulting race is:
expiry handler timer_settime() timer_delete()
-------------- --------------- --------------
collect timer onto
private firing list
firing = true
observes firing = true
firing = false
return TIMER_RETRY
wait for handler
observes firing = false
finish deletion
unhash and free timer
resume list traversal
read freed elist.next
-> UAF
The firing bit is clearly the wrong indicator since that commit.
Check whether the timer is queued on the expiry list or not instead. If it
is queued clear the firing bit to prevent signal delivery as before and
return TIMER_RETRY so the caller unlocks the timer which allows the expiry
code to make progress and remove it from the list.