In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask()
fsnotify_recalc_mask() fails to handle the return value of
__fsnotify_recalc_mask(), which may return an inode pointer that needs
to be released via fsnotify_drop_object() when the connector's HAS_IREF
flag transitions from set to cleared.
This manifests as a hung task with the following call trace:
INFO: task umount:1234 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
Call Trace:
__schedule
schedule
fsnotify_sb_delete
generic_shutdown_super
kill_anon_super
cleanup_mnt
task_work_run
do_exit
do_group_exit
The race window that triggers the iref leak:
Thread A (adding mark) Thread B (removing mark)
────────────────────── ────────────────────────
fsnotify_add_mark_locked():
fsnotify_add_mark_list():
spin_lock(conn->lock)
add mark_B(evictable) to list
spin_unlock(conn->lock)
return
/* ---- gap: no lock held ---- */
fsnotify_detach_mark(mark_A):
spin_lock(mark_A->lock)
clear ATTACHED flag on mark_A
spin_unlock(mark_A->lock)
fsnotify_put_mark(mark_A)
fsnotify_recalc_mask():
spin_lock(conn->lock)
__fsnotify_recalc_mask():
/* mark_A skipped: ATTACHED cleared */
/* only mark_B(evictable) remains */
want_iref = false
has_iref = true /* not yet cleared */
-> HAS_IREF transitions true -> false
-> returns inode pointer
spin_unlock(conn->lock)
/* BUG: return value discarded!
* iput() and fsnotify_put_sb_watched_objects()
* are never called */
Fix this by deferring the transition true -> false of HAS_IREF flag from
fsnotify_recalc_mask() (Thread A) to fsnotify_put_mark() (thread B).
fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask()
fsnotify_recalc_mask() fails to handle the return value of
__fsnotify_recalc_mask(), which may return an inode pointer that needs
to be released via fsnotify_drop_object() when the connector's HAS_IREF
flag transitions from set to cleared.
This manifests as a hung task with the following call trace:
INFO: task umount:1234 blocked for more than 120 seconds.
Call Trace:
__schedule
schedule
fsnotify_sb_delete
generic_shutdown_super
kill_anon_super
cleanup_mnt
task_work_run
do_exit
do_group_exit
The race window that triggers the iref leak:
Thread A (adding mark) Thread B (removing mark)
────────────────────── ────────────────────────
fsnotify_add_mark_locked():
fsnotify_add_mark_list():
spin_lock(conn->lock)
add mark_B(evictable) to list
spin_unlock(conn->lock)
return
/* ---- gap: no lock held ---- */
fsnotify_detach_mark(mark_A):
spin_lock(mark_A->lock)
clear ATTACHED flag on mark_A
spin_unlock(mark_A->lock)
fsnotify_put_mark(mark_A)
fsnotify_recalc_mask():
spin_lock(conn->lock)
__fsnotify_recalc_mask():
/* mark_A skipped: ATTACHED cleared */
/* only mark_B(evictable) remains */
want_iref = false
has_iref = true /* not yet cleared */
-> HAS_IREF transitions true -> false
-> returns inode pointer
spin_unlock(conn->lock)
/* BUG: return value discarded!
* iput() and fsnotify_put_sb_watched_objects()
* are never called */
Fix this by deferring the transition true -> false of HAS_IREF flag from
fsnotify_recalc_mask() (Thread A) to fsnotify_put_mark() (thread B).
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
No data.
No data.
No data.
Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask() fsnotify_recalc_mask() fails to handle the return value of __fsnotify_recalc_mask(), which may return an inode pointer that needs to be released via fsnotify_drop_object() when the connector's HAS_IREF flag transitions from set to cleared. This manifests as a hung task with the following call trace: INFO: task umount:1234 blocked for more than 120 seconds. Call Trace: __schedule schedule fsnotify_sb_delete generic_shutdown_super kill_anon_super cleanup_mnt task_work_run do_exit do_group_exit The race window that triggers the iref leak: Thread A (adding mark) Thread B (removing mark) ────────────────────── ──────────────────────── fsnotify_add_mark_locked(): fsnotify_add_mark_list(): spin_lock(conn->lock) add mark_B(evictable) to list spin_unlock(conn->lock) return /* ---- gap: no lock held ---- */ fsnotify_detach_mark(mark_A): spin_lock(mark_A->lock) clear ATTACHED flag on mark_A spin_unlock(mark_A->lock) fsnotify_put_mark(mark_A) fsnotify_recalc_mask(): spin_lock(conn->lock) __fsnotify_recalc_mask(): /* mark_A skipped: ATTACHED cleared */ /* only mark_B(evictable) remains */ want_iref = false has_iref = true /* not yet cleared */ -> HAS_IREF transitions true -> false -> returns inode pointer spin_unlock(conn->lock) /* BUG: return value discarded! * iput() and fsnotify_put_sb_watched_objects() * are never called */ Fix this by deferring the transition true -> false of HAS_IREF flag from fsnotify_recalc_mask() (Thread A) to fsnotify_put_mark() (thread B). | |
| Title | fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask() | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
Sign in to view the affected projects.
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-06-24T16:29:04.148Z
Reserved: 2026-06-09T07:44:35.376Z
Link: CVE-2026-52990
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
No data.
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.