CVE-2026-43388 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/core: clear walk_control on inactive context in damos_walk() damos_walk() sets ctx->walk_control to the caller-provided control structure before checking whether the context is running. If the context is inactive (damon_is_running() returns false), the function returns -EINVAL without clearing ctx->walk_control. This leaves a dangling pointer to a stack-allocated structure that will be freed when the caller returns. This is structurally identical to the bug fixed in commit f9132fbc2e83 ("mm/damon/core: remove call_control in inactive contexts") for damon_call(), which had the same pattern of linking a control object and returning an error without unlinking it. The dangling walk_control pointer can cause: 1. Use-after-free if the context is later started and kdamond dereferences ctx->walk_control (e.g., in damos_walk_cancel() which writes to control->canceled and calls complete()) 2. Permanent -EBUSY from subsequent damos_walk() calls, since the stale pointer is non-NULL Nonetheless, the real user impact is quite restrictive. The use-after-free is impossible because there is no damos_walk() callers who starts the context later. The permanent -EBUSY can actually confuse users, as DAMON is not running. But the symptom is kept only while the context is turned off. Turning it on again will make DAMON internally uses a newly generated damon_ctx object that doesn't have the invalid damos_walk_control pointer, so everything will work fine again. Fix this by clearing ctx->walk_control under walk_control_lock before returning -EINVAL, mirroring the fix pattern from f9132fbc2e83.
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DAMON (Data Access Monitoring) subsystem has been addressed. The issue arises in the 'damos_walk()' function, where the 'walk_control' pointer is set to a caller-provided control structure before verifying if the context is active. If the context is inactive, the function returns an error without clearing the 'walk_control', leaving a dangling pointer to a stack-allocated structure that will be freed when the caller returns. This behavior is similar to a previously fixed bug in 'damon_call()'. The dangling pointer can lead to a use-after-free condition if the context is later activated and the DAMON scheduler dereferences the stale pointer, or it can cause a permanent '-EBUSY' error in subsequent 'damos_walk()' calls. Although the use-after-free scenario is unlikely, the '-EBUSY' error can confuse users, as it suggests DAMON is not running, when in fact the context is simply turned off.
The vulnerability has been fixed by modifying the 'damos_walk()' function to clear the 'walk_control' pointer under the appropriate lock before returning an error, ensuring that no dangling pointers are left behind.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
No SSVC data is available for this CVE.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9320c77134ab8d7701e20608bbf08517df4fa321 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce0aa47c963b8c3e5beace89e2b5a665a64b5b6b | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d210fdcac9c0d1380eab448aebc93f602c1cd4e6 | kernel.org | Patch |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-416 | Use After Free | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| linux linux kernel | >= 6.14, < 6.18.19 >= 6.19, < 6.19.9 7.0 rc1 7.0 rc2 7.0 rc3 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| May 26, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| May 8, 2026 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |