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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-63951

Linux kernel: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio A crash was observed in zram_writeback_endio due to a NULL pointer dereference in wake_up.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.2% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-63951 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio

A crash was observed in zram_writeback_endio due to a NULL pointer dereference in wake_up. The root cause is a race condition between the bio completion handler (zram_writeback_endio) and the writeback task.

In zram_writeback_endio, wake_up() is called on &wb_ctl->done_wait after releasing wb_ctl->done_lock. This creates a race window where the writeback task can see num_inflight become 0, return, and free wb_ctl before zram_writeback_endio calls wake_up().

Continue reading

CPU 0 (zram_writeback_endio) CPU 1 (writeback_store) ============================ ============================ zram_writeback_slots zram_submit_wb_request zram_submit_wb_request wait_event(wb_ctl->done_wait) spin_lock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); list_add(&req->entry, &wb_ctl->done_reqs); spin_unlock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); wake_up(&wb_ctl->done_wait); zram_complete_done_reqs spin_lock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); list_add(&req->entry, &wb_ctl->done_reqs); spin_unlock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); while (num_inflight) > 0) spin_lock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); list_del(&req->entry); spin_unlock(&wb_ctl->done_lock); // num_inflight becomes 0 atomic_dec(num_inflight);

// Leave zram_writeback_slots // Free wb_ctl release_wb_ctl(wb_ctl); // UAF crash! wake_up(&wb_ctl->done_wait);

This patch fixes this race by using RCU. By protecting wb_ctl with rcu_read_lock() in zram_writeback_endio and using kfree_rcu() to free it, we ensure that wb_ctl remains valid during the execution of zram_writeback_endio.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.2%

Scored Percentile 7.3%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-63951 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-63951, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio (CVE-2026-63951). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63951

MLA

"Linux kernel: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio (CVE-2026-63951)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63951.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio (CVE-2026-63951)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63951.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio (Jul 19, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

zram: fix use-after-free in zram_writeback_endio

A crash was observed in zram_writeback_endio due to a NULL pointer
dereference in wake_up.  The root cause is a race condition between the
bio completion handler (zram_writeback_endio) and the writeback task.

In zram_writeback_endio, wake_up() is called on &wb_ctl->done_wait after
releasing wb_ctl->done_lock.  This creates a race window where the
writeback task can see num_inflight become 0, return, and free wb_ctl
before zram_writeback_endio calls wake_up().
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63951).
EPSS 0.2% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-63951&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-63951: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63951
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:52:33.301Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T15:50:56.559Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-63951&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-63951.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Analyzed. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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