In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: free stashed qentry before overwrite in REQ_ADD_LINK to ADD_LINK transition When smc_llc_event_handler() transitions the local LLC flow from SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_…

Overview

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

net/smc: free stashed qentry before overwrite in REQ_ADD_LINK to ADD_LINK transition

When smc_llc_event_handler() transitions the local LLC flow from SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK to SMC_LLC_FLOW_ADD_LINK on arrival of an ADD_LINK request, it calls smc_llc_flow_qentry_set() unconditionally:

if (lgr->llc_flow_lcl.type == SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK) {
	lgr->llc_flow_lcl.type = SMC_LLC_FLOW_ADD_LINK;
	smc_llc_flow_qentry_set(&lgr->llc_flow_lcl, qentry);
	...
}

A CONFIRM_LINK or ADD_LINK_CONT arriving while flow->type is SMC_LLC_FLOW_REQ_ADD_LINK is stashed into flow->qentry via the SMC_LLC_CONFIRM_LINK / SMC_LLC_ADD_LINK_CONT handler (which stores into flow->qentry for any non-NONE flow type). When the subsequent ADD_LINK arrives, the REQ_ADD_LINK branch overwrites flow->qentry with the new pointer without first freeing the stashed allocation, leaking one kmalloc object.

The stashed entry has no consumer: smc_llc_wait() is only called from llc_add_link_work, which is not yet scheduled while the flow type remains REQ_ADD_LINK. No waiter is sleeping on llc_msg_waiter at this point. It is safe to unconditionally free any stashed qentry before the overwrite.

Call smc_llc_flow_qentry_del() before smc_llc_flow_qentry_set() in the REQ_ADD_LINK branch. smc_llc_flow_qentry_del() already checks flow->qentry before freeing, so the normal path where no entry is stashed is a no-op.

Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

Vendor advisories

• Red Hat VEX · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · updated 2026-10-05 · vex