Medium

CVE-2026-43392 — sched_ext: Fix starvation of scx_enable() under fair-class saturation

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Fix starvation of scx_enable() under fair-class saturation During scx_enable(), the READY -> ENABLED task switching loop changes the calling thread's sched_class from fair to ext. Since fair has higher priority than ext, saturating fair-class workloads can indefinitely starve the enable thread, hanging the system. This was introduced when the enable path switched from preempt_disable() to scx_bypass() which doesn't protect against fair-class starvation. Note that the original preempt_disable() protection wasn't complete either - in partial switch modes, the calling thread could still be starved after preempt_enable() as it may have been switched to ext class. Fix it by offloading the enable body to a dedicated system-wide RT (SCHED_FIFO) kthread which cannot be starved by either fair or ext class tasks. scx_enable() lazily creates the kthread on first use and passes the ops pointer through a struct scx_enable_cmd containing the kthread_work, then synchronously waits for completion. The workfn runs on a different kthread from sch->helper (which runs disable_work), so it can safely flush disable_work on the error path without deadlock.

Published May 8, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
Technical severity (medium)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.17%

ahead of 6% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Linux

Linux and 1 more

CVSS base

5.5

Medium · 1 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	version 6.12≥ 8c2090c504e998c8f34ec870bae71dafcc96a6e0 and < b06ccbabe2506fd70b9167a644978b049150224a≥ 8c2090c504e998c8f34ec870bae71dafcc96a6e0 and < 05ab9ec5dc24f234e0a2fecf3e6ff937c68f7d81≥ 8c2090c504e998c8f34ec870bae71dafcc96a6e0 and < c44198f25fdfecc0ec0fe366bf8a47fe17d8e229≥ 8c2090c504e998c8f34ec870bae71dafcc96a6e0 and < e0b14bf06393be137d3efb6a3b7cd5b4b9810a6b	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Linux	Linux Kernel	version 6.12-rc6version 7.0-rc2version 7.0-rc1version 6.12-rc7≥ 6.12.1 and < 6.12.78version 6.12-rc5version 6.12-rc4version 6.12-rc3 and 4 more version 6.12-rc2version 6.12≥ 6.19 and < 6.19.9≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.20	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
5.5	CVSS 3.1	Medium	1.8	3.6	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.17%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
Fix documented
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS changed · 5.5
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
May 8, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

4 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/c44198f25fdfecc0ec0fe366bf8a47fe17d8e229
Patch, NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/b06ccbabe2506fd70b9167a644978b049150224a
Patch, NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/e0b14bf06393be137d3efb6a3b7cd5b4b9810a6b
Patch, NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/05ab9ec5dc24f234e0a2fecf3e6ff937c68f7d81
Patch, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 2d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No CISA SSVC assessment.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-43392 is "sched_ext: Fix starvation of scx_enable() under fair-class saturation", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.17% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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