irq_work: Fix use-after-free in irq_work_single() on PREEMPT_RT

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: irq_work: Fix use-after-free in irq_work_single() on PREEMPT_RT On PREEMPT_RT, non-HARD irq_work runs in per-CPU kthreads via run_irq_workd(), so irq_work_sync() uses rcuwait() to wait for BUSY==0. After irq_work_single() clears BUSY via atomic_cmpxchg(), it still dereferences @work for irq_work_is_hard() and rcuwait_wake_up(). An irq_work_sync() caller on another CPU that enters after BUSY is cleared can observe BUSY==0 immediately, return, and free the work before those accesses complete — causing a use-after-free. Fix this by wrapping run_irq_workd() in guard(rcu)() so that the entire irq_work_single() execution is within an RCU read-side critical section. Then add synchronize_rcu() in irq_work_sync() after rcuwait_wait_event() to ensure the caller waits for the RCU grace period before returning, preventing premature frees.

Source published

19 Jul 2026 15:39:48 UTC

Source modified

19 Oct 2026 20:28:11 UTC

Observed here

23 Oct 2026 15:48:27 UTC

Source terms

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CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H