CVE-2026-43468

net/mlx5: Fix deadlock between devlink lock and esw->wq

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: May 8, 2026 at 02:22 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 10:49 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.1%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: Fix deadlock between devlink lock and esw->wq esw->work_queue executes esw_functions_changed_event_handler -> esw_vfs_changed_event_handler and acquires the devlink lock. .eswitch_mode_set (acquires devlink lock in devlink_nl_pre_doit) -> mlx5_devlink_eswitch_mode_set -> mlx5_eswitch_disable_locked -> mlx5_eswitch_event_handler_unregister -> flush_workqueue deadlocks when esw_vfs_changed_event_handler executes. Fix that by no longer flushing the work to avoid the deadlock, and using a generation counter to keep track of work relevance. This avoids an old handler manipulating an esw that has undergone one or more mode changes: - the counter is incremented in mlx5_eswitch_event_handler_unregister. - the counter is read and passed to the ephemeral mlx5_host_work struct. - the work handler takes the devlink lock and bails out if the current generation is different than the one it was scheduled to operate on. - mlx5_eswitch_cleanup does the final draining before destroying the wq. No longer flushing the workqueue has the side effect of maybe no longer cancelling pending vport_change_handler work items, but that's ok since those are disabled elsewhere: - mlx5_eswitch_disable_locked disables the vport eq notifier. - mlx5_esw_vport_disable disarms the HW EQ notification and marks vport->enabled under state_lock to false to prevent pending vport handler from doing anything. - mlx5_eswitch_cleanup destroys the workqueue and makes sure all events are disabled/finished.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.0 ≤ v < 6.1.1676.0 ≤ v < 6.12.786.0 ≤ v < 6.18.196.0 ≤ v < 6.19.96.0 ≤ v < 6.6.1306.0 ≤ v < 7.06.13 ≤ v < 6.18.196.19 ≤ v < 6.19.96.2 ≤ v < 6.6.1306.7 ≤ v < 6.12.786.07.0 rc17.0 rc27.0 rc3f1bc646c9a06f09aad5d8bacb87103b5573ee45e
Vendor states this is fixed in 0de867f6e34eae6907b367fd152c55e61cb98608 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3c7313cb41b1b427078440364d2f042c276a1c0b (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4a7838bebc38374f74baaf88bf2cf8d439a92923 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 90e7e5d14d0bd25ffd019a3aa39d9f1c05fedbe1 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 957d2a58f7f8ebcbdd0a85935e0d2675134b890d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in aed763abf0e905b4b8d747d1ba9e172961572f57 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.0 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.167 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.78 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.19 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.19.9 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.130 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.0 (unaffected)

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-667

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