CVE-2026-90432: sched_ext: Abort directly from the hardlockup handler

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: sched_ext: Abort directly from the hardlockup handler scx_hardlockup() defers the abort to an irq_work because exit claiming used to take scx_sched_lock and couldn't run from NMI. The deferral is now unnecessary - claiming is NMI-safe and asserting ->aborting is exactly what breaks the live-locks that hard-lock CPUs. Call handle_lockup() directly and drop the irq_work. This also makes the self-detected case recoverable: the perf watchdog fires on the hard-locked CPU itself, where a queued irq_work never runs with IRQs off. Also fix the return value: %true used to be returned whenever sched_ext was loaded, suppressing the kernel's hardlockup report even when the abort was refused. Return %true only when this call initiated the abort.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 7.1 — 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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