Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-99243

critical Nessus Plugin ID 375565

Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- io-wq: order the exit bit against worker creation task work io_wq_exit_workers() cancels task work for queued worker creation with task_work_cancel_match(). That has a plain load of task->task_works.
io_queue_worker_create() adds the new entry and tests IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT to cancel it if the workqueue is already on its way out. That must be ordered. task_work_add() has a full barrier via cmpxchg(). But io_wq_exit_start() sets the bit with set_bit() which doesn't have any memory ordering. So afaict, on weakly ordered architectures the exiting task may load task_works before the store of the bit is visible.
The other side tests the bit before the store is visible as well. So the entry remains queued with worker_refs and the exiting task waits on worker_done indefinitely. If the task still has rings then io_uring_del_tctx_node() provides the barrier via test_and_set_bit() in io_wq_set_exit_on_idle(). When it has closed all rings though that barrier is gone. Add the barrier after the set_bit(). (CVE-2026-99243)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-99243

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 375565

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2026_99243.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 11/3/2026

Updated: 11/3/2026

Supported Sensors: Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.9

Percentile: 96.32

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.5

Temporal Score: 6.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2026-99243

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.8

Temporal Score: 9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:14.0, p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 11/3/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2026-99243