CVE-2026-90278: md: wait for behind writes before destroying bitmap

Severity: unknown
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-17 · updated 2026-10-19

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md: wait for behind writes before destroying bitmap __md_stop() destroyed the bitmap before calling mddev_detach(). That made mddev_detach() skip bitmap_ops->wait_behind_writes(), because the bitmap was already disconnected from mddev. This was still safe for the legacy bitmap because bitmap_destroy() waits for behind writes itself. llbitmap keeps that wait in its ->wait_behind_writes() operation instead, while ->destroy() tears down the llbitmap storage. With the old ordering, RAID1 behind-write completions could still run after llbitmap storage had been freed. Call mddev_detach() before md_bitmap_destroy() so the common detach path can wait for behind writes while the bitmap is still alive. Only destroy the bitmap after those users are gone.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 6.18 — fixed in 7.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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