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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-52979

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click 8 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: psp: check for device unregister when creating assoc psp_assoc_device_get_locked() obtains a psp_dev reference via psp_dev_get_for_sock() (which uses psp_dev_tryget() under RCU); it then acquires psd->lock and drops the reference. Before the lock is taken, psp_dev_unregister() can run to completion: take psd->lock, clear out state, unlock, drop the registration reference. The expectation is that the lock prevents device unregistration, but much like with netdevs special care has to be taken when "upgrading" a reference to a locked device. Add the missing check if device is still alive. psp_dev_is_registered() exists already but had no callers, which makes me wonder if I either forgot to add this or lost the check during refactoring...

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A race condition exists in the Linux kernel's PSP (Platform Security Processor) subsystem where psp_assoc_device_get_locked() can retain a reference to a PSP device that is simultaneously being unregistered. The function acquires a device reference via RCU, then takes a lock, but psp_dev_unregister() can complete (clear state and drop references) between these operations. The lock does not prevent unregistration as expected. The fix requires adding a check using the existing psp_dev_is_registered() function after acquiring the lock to verify the device is still valid.

MitigationApply the kernel patch that adds the psp_dev_is_registered() check after acquiring the lock in psp_assoc_device_get_locked() to ensure the device hasn't been unregistered during the race window.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.18, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10= 7.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to obtain the running kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version falls within the affected ranges: >= 6.18 and < 6.18.33, OR >= 6.19 and < 7.0.10, OR = 7.1
  2. Verify PSP subsystem is in use
    Check for PSP device files or modules: look for /dev/psp* entries, or check `lsmod | grep -i psp` for loaded PSP modules, or check kernel config for CONFIG_PSP_DEV=m or CONFIG_PSP_DEV=y
    Affected if The PSP subsystem is loaded or compiled into the kernel (the vulnerability only matters if PSP is in use)
  3. Check for patched code in psp_assoc_device_get_locked
    Examine the kernel source file containing psp_assoc_device_get_locked (typically in drivers/crypto/ccp/psp-dev.c or similar) or check the compiled symbol; the fix adds a call to psp_dev_is_registered() after acquiring the lock
    Affected if The psp_dev_is_registered() check is NOT present after acquiring the lock in psp_assoc_device_get_locked (indicating the vulnerability is still present)

A system is affected if it runs an affected kernel version (6.18.x before 6.18.33, 6.19.x before 7.0.10, or 7.1) AND has the PSP subsystem enabled or loaded, AND the psp_dev_is_registered() validation check has not been added to psp_assoc_device_get_locked().

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later
Fixed in 6.18.337.0.10
Interim mitigation

Apply the kernel patch that adds the psp_dev_is_registered() check after acquiring the lock in psp_assoc_device_get_locked() to ensure the device hasn't been unregistered during the race window.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 6.18.33 or 7.0.10 or later (depending on which branch you are on)

  1. Identify the current running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. If running kernel >= 6.18 and < 6.18.33, upgrade to kernel version 6.18.33 or later
  3. If running kernel >= 6.19 and < 7.0.10, upgrade to kernel version 7.0.10 or later
  4. If running kernel 7.1, upgrade to a newer stable release that includes the fix
  5. Reboot the system to apply the kernel upgrade
  6. Verify the fix is applied by checking that psp_dev_is_registered() check is present in the relevant kernel source or by confirming the kernel version
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system downtime and could have compatibility implications with custom kernel modules or specific hardware drivers

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,540
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-52979 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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