In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched_ext: Close the pre-enable ops error claim window scx_alloc_and_add_sched() publishes ops->priv before scx_root_enable_workfn() switches the state to SCX_ENABLING…

Overview

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

sched_ext: Close the pre-enable ops error claim window

scx_alloc_and_add_sched() publishes ops->priv before scx_root_enable_workfn() switches the state to SCX_ENABLING. An error claimed via scx_bpf_error_bstr() from an associated BPF program in that window is consumed by scx_disable_workfn(), which takes the pre-enable shortcut in scx_root_disable(). The shortcut returns without any teardown and restores SCX_DISABLED with an unconditional scx_set_enable_state() xchg racing the enable workfn's own transition. The enable then completes with the claim consumed: the scheduler stays up but can never be disabled again, and bpf_scx_unreg() frees it while still in use, resulting in a use-after-free. Both WARN_ON_ONCE()s fire back to back:

WARNING: kernel/sched/ext/ext.c:7522 at scx_root_enable_workfn+0xeec/0x1be0, CPU#3: scx_enable_help/276

WARNING: kernel/sched/ext/ext.c:6398 at scx_root_disable+0xb50/0xdb8, CPU#0: sched_ext_helpe/664

scx_root_enable_workfn() switches to SCX_ENABLING before the scheduler allocation, so ops->priv is never visible while SCX_DISABLED. The allocation failure path restores SCX_DISABLED.

Remediation

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

Vendor advisories

• Red Hat VEX · Moderate · updated 2026-10-09 · vex