CVE-2026-97603 PUBLISHED

idpf: disable DIM work before freeing q_vectors

Assigner: Linux
Reserved: 24.09.2026 Published: 25.09.2026 Updated: 25.09.2026

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

idpf: disable DIM work before freeing q_vectors

idpf never drains the Tx/Rx DIM works before freeing the memory they live in. tx_dim and rx_dim are embedded in struct idpf_q_vector, they are queued from the NAPI poll via net_dim(), and idpf_vport_intr_rel() ends with kfree(rsrc->q_vectors). Nothing in the driver cancels them.

idpf_tx_dim_work() and idpf_rx_dim_work() then run on freed memory: idpf_vport_intr_write_itr() writes the ITR register through q_vector->intr_reg.tx_itr / rx_itr, void __iomem pointers loaded out of the freed q_vector. No configuration is needed to get there -- IDPF_ITR_IS_DYNAMIC() is defined as (itr_mode) and idpf_vport_alloc() initialises both modes to IDPF_ITR_DYNAMIC.

Draining after idpf_vport_intr_napi_dis_all() is not enough on its own. idpf_net_dim() is called from inside the "if (napi_complete_done(napi, work_done))" branch of the poll, and napi_complete_done() has already cleared NAPIF_STATE_SCHED by then. napi_disable_locked() waits only while (val & (NAPIF_STATE_SCHED | NAPIF_STATE_NPSVC)), so napi_disable() can return while the poll tail is still queueing the work, and a plain cancel_work_sync() would be re-armed behind the drain.

Use disable_work_sync(): schedule_work() on a work with a non-zero disable count is dropped by clear_pending_if_disabled() before __queue_work() is reached.

Move idpf_init_dim() to idpf_vport_intr_alloc() so the works are initialised on every path that can reach the drain -- the three "goto intr_deinit" sites between idpf_vport_intr_init() and idpf_vport_intr_ena() get there without the enable side having run. Nothing re-enables them: rsrc->q_vectors is freed on every exit from idpf_vport_open() and on every idpf_vport_stop(), so the count dies with the object.

It is a race, not a deterministic failure -- net_dim() only schedules once DIM_NEVENTS events have accumulated and the profile index changes. A KASAN ifup/ifdown loop under load is the way to see it.

Product Status

Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: unaffected
  • affected from c2d548cad1508d334517bcbd7cd5c915cc831fc0 to 7e4312953788244d47074987d40d76702cf929f1 (excl.)
  • affected from c2d548cad1508d334517bcbd7cd5c915cc831fc0 to cd7a1598645b6917a8676b7e2efe8d97ce68a952 (excl.)
  • affected from c2d548cad1508d334517bcbd7cd5c915cc831fc0 to 7dd4c829bac2916be98a3e34b41daaba7f42b4c4 (excl.)
Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: affected
  • Version 6.7 is affected
  • unaffected from 0 to 6.7 (excl.)
  • unaffected from 6.18.53 to 6.18.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.2.7 to 7.2.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.3-rc3 to * (incl.)

References