CVE-2026-31454

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's XFS file system. This vulnerability occurs when the system incorrectly handles memory, specifically when a critical lock, known as the Address Index List (AIL) lock, is released too early during certain operations. This premature release can cause a piece of memory to be freed while still in use, leading to a "use-after-free" condition. Such a condition can result in system crashes, instability, or potentially allow an attacker with local access to gain elevated privileges or disrupt system services.

This XFS defect captures ailp before dropping the AIL lock so later locking does not follow a freed lip->li_ailp. Red Hat's position follows upstream: treat as serious kernel integrity until errata ships, with privilege escalation not assumed without further analysis. Supported offerings will inherit the fix via kernel updates.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

To mitigate this issue, prevent the xfs module from being loaded. See https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 for instructions.