CVE-2026-43438

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Remove redundant css_put() in scx_cgroup_init() The iterator css_for_each_descendant_pre() walks the cgroup hierarchy under cgroup_lock(). It does not increment the reference counts on yielded css structs. According to the cgroup documentation, css_put() should only be used to release a reference obtained via css_get() or css_tryget_online(). Since the iterator does not use either of these to acquire a reference, calling css_put() in the error path of scx_cgroup_init() causes a refcount underflow. Remove the unbalanced css_put() to prevent a potential Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0001

Probability of exploitation

0.02%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1336b579f6079fb8520be03624fcd9ba443c930b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6eaaa67d6998f6c30c462b140db8c062e07ec473 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf50f3285eda8a0173625fcdb5f183f96e1008cd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc095cd305fddbe25a968e4a78436ff9476cf0f6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43438? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Remove redundant css_put() in scx_cgroup_init() The iterator css_for_each_descendant_pre() walks the cgroup hierarchy under cgroup_lock(). It does not increment the reference counts on yielded css structs. According to the cgroup documentation, css_put() should only be used to release a reference obtained via css_get() or css_tryget_online(). Since the iterator does not use either of these to acquire a reference, calling css_put() in the error path of scx_cgroup_init() causes a refcount underflow. Remove the unbalanced css_put() to prevent a potential Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-43438? +

CVE-2026-43438 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0001, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-43438? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.