CVE-2026-89521

sched/core: Handle pick_task() releasing the rq lock

HIGH
7.3
CVSS Score
Published: September 11, 2026 at 07:44 PM UTC
Updated: October 19, 2026 at 09:17 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.3
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched/core: Handle pick_task() releasing the rq lock Core scheduling's pick_next_task() breaks when a ->pick_task() implementation can release the rq lock. The selection state derived on entry is only valid while the lock is held continuously. Once a pick can drop the lock, an interleaving selection can invalidate all of it: the single-CPU fast path can commit an uncookied pick although the core went cookied during the release, and forceidle committed by the interleaving selection skews the restarted pass's accounting. Fix it by restarting the whole selection when a pick returns RETRY_TASK after releasing the lock: a single restart point above the state derivation replaces the per-loop restart labels, so a retry picks up state committed by interleaving selections and accounts and resets forceidle like a fresh selection would. need_sync and fi_before latch across retries. Clock validity can't be re-derived - there is no program-ordered way to tell whether the own and core rq clocks are still updated after the lock was released, as other lockers' pin cycles may or may not have invalidated them. When restarting, clear core_clock_updated so that the sibling loop re-updates the core rq, and update the own rq clock if invalidated.

Affected

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

4c95380701f58b8112f0b891de8d160e4199e19d6.19
Vendor states this is fixed in 88ed5a66467ca2a5148b9997af9c71d8c43060ad (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in c10b216a072ff5c57bc880a05f87eb519aecc529 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.19 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.2.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.3 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.3-rc1 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet, and no fixed version or vendor advisory is recorded against it.

CVSS

7.3HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusRECEIVED

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