CVE-2026-53163 — locking/rtmutex: Skip remove_waiter() when waiter is not enqueued
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: locking/rtmutex: Skip remove_waiter() when waiter is not enqueued syzbot triggered the following splat in remove_waiter() via FUTEX_CMP_REQUEUE_PI: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000a88-0x0000000000000a8f] class_raw_spinlock_constructor remove_waiter+0x159/0x1200 kernel/locking/rtmutex.c:1561 rt_mutex_start_proxy_lock+0x103/0x120 futex_requeue+0x10e4/0x20d0 __x64_sys_futex+0x34f/0x4d0 task_blocks_on_rt_mutex() does not arm the waiter upon deadlock detection, leaving waiter->task nil, where 3bfdc63936dd ("rtmutex: Use waiter::task instead of current in remove_waiter()") made this fatal. Furthermore, rt_mutex_start_proxy_lock() should not be calling into remove_waiter() upon a successfully grabbing the rtmutex. 1a1fb985f2e2 ("futex: Handle early deadlock return correctly"), moved the remove_waiter() out of __rt_mutex_start_proxy_lock() (where 'ret' was only ever 0 or < 0) into the wrapper. Tighten this check to account for try_to_take_rt_mutex().
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+0
- 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.
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)
- 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 matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
≥ 838ce5cb5d93c3ab8b27e75bc6ad905a94b752fd and < 4ffacf76a457b7ca8ac05f5df8740b0d8f53574a≥ 7.0.4 and < 7.0.13≥ 6.18.27 and < 6.18.36≥ 6.12.86 and < 6.12.95≥ 6.6.140 and < 6.6.144≥ 6.1.175 and < 6.1.177≥ 3bfdc63936dd4773109b7b8c280c0f3b5ae7d349 and < 40a25d59e85b3c8709ac2424d44f65610467871e≥ 88614876370aac8ad1050ad785a4c095ba17ac11 and < 55363fa0a04524d11efeaadee734d2db1756ed27 and 5 more≥ 3fb7394a837740770f0d6b4b30567e60786a63f2 and < a388e3dfaf9538a680de5ed43a8ebb5dd45b6e53≥ 6d52dfcb2a5db86e346cf51f8fcf2071b8085166 and < 5799f9bd7fee40370b93ab1ddf001cdc7017c14d≥ 8a1fc8d698ac5e5916e3082a0f74450d71f9611f and < 6707d7e0b71748cb3cd95bad81dae5fe1b3c8f48≥ d8cce4773c2b23d819baf5abedc62f7b430e8745 and < 4afda3a1da02129568a3a2f1898aa13e6763bcba≥ f3fa3424bceb128d2be4b3745506b22844b87db7 and < bfbc047ceb42c0e1fac8f3a155d4548a8bbe76b1 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
≥ 6.1.175 and < 6.1.177version 7.1-rc6version 7.1-rc5version 7.1-rc4version 7.1-rc3version 7.1-rc2version 7.1-rc1≥ 7.0.4 and < 7.0.13 and 3 more≥ 6.18.27 and < 6.18.36≥ 6.12.86 and < 6.12.95≥ 6.6.140 and < 6.6.144 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
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) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.12%
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.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
8 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6707d7e0b71748cb3cd95bad81dae5fe1b3c8f48
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a388e3dfaf9538a680de5ed43a8ebb5dd45b6e53
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5799f9bd7fee40370b93ab1ddf001cdc7017c14d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/55363fa0a04524d11efeaadee734d2db1756ed27
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4afda3a1da02129568a3a2f1898aa13e6763bcba
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/40a25d59e85b3c8709ac2424d44f65610467871e
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ffacf76a457b7ca8ac05f5df8740b0d8f53574a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bfbc047ceb42c0e1fac8f3a155d4548a8bbe76b1
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
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 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-2026-53163 is "locking/rtmutex: Skip remove_waiter() when waiter is not enqueued", 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 0.12% 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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