CVE-2026-74574

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's dmaengine IDXD subsystem. A race condition during file-device setup failure cleanup in the idxd_cdev_open() function could lead to a deadlock, causing a denial of service. Furthermore, incorrect cleanup paths could result in operations on a freed memory context, potentially allowing a local attacker to escalate privileges.

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.

The vulnerability resides in the idxd kernel module. If the Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA) functionality is not actively used or required, the idxd module can be prevented from loading to mitigate this issue.

To blacklist the module:

1. Create a new file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-idxd.conf with the following content:

   blacklist idxd
   

2. Regenerate the initramfs to ensure the blacklist takes effect on boot:

   sudo dracut -f -v
   

   or for systems using mkinitrd:

   sudo mkinitrd -f /boot/initramfs-$(uname -r).img $(uname -r)
   

3. Reboot the system for the changes to take effect.

This mitigation may impact functionality that relies on the Intel Data Streaming Accelerator. If idxd functionality is required, this mitigation is not applicable.