CVE-2026-72068

Summary

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

posix-cpu-timers: Use u64 multiplication in update_rlimit_cpu()

update_rlimit_cpu() converts the RLIMIT_CPU value to nanoseconds with

    u64 nsecs = rlim_new * NSEC_PER_SEC;

On 32-bit kernels both rlim_new (unsigned long) and NSEC_PER_SEC (1000000000L) are 32-bit, so the multiplication is performed in unsigned long and truncated for rlim_new > 4 seconds before being widened to u64.

The same file already casts to u64 for the matching computation in check_process_timers():

    u64 softns = (u64)soft * NSEC_PER_SEC;

As a result, the truncated value is installed into the CPUCLOCK_PROF expiry cache (nextevt), causing the process CPU timer to be programmed to fire prematurely for any RLIMIT_CPU soft limit >= 5 seconds. The actual SIGXCPU/SIGKILL decision in check_process_timers() already casts to u64 and is therefore correct, so limit enforcement is not broken; only the expiry-cache programming is wrong. Apply the same cast here so both paths convert rlim_cur identically.

64-bit kernels are unaffected.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < feb5c87c8514444ba891b75a5a3eae57c64edaf8affected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < 384628d6cdde0fcd76868606fad3ad8293100afbaffected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < 1fafc4d9b411645eb34de43362b966dc8fb3e263affected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < cff8281bacd2866767e6194c3079d33b6c5a74f4affected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < edf6babb9edd2d3e19229ade339081f439d4f478affected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < ea6a188ee805e841a0e242f14d15953e0dfa74bbaffected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < 571e1f10b5996ba3e4dc63ea77de4aa309c384ceaffected
LinuxLinux858cf3a8c59968e7c5f7c1a1192459a0d52d1ab4 < 26aff38fefb1d6cd87e22525f41cc8f1aa61b24faffected
LinuxLinux4.11affected
LinuxLinux0 < 4.11unaffected
LinuxLinux5.10.261 <= 5.10.*unaffected
LinuxLinux5.15.212 <= 5.15.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.1.178 <= 6.1.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.6.145 <= 6.6.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.12.97 <= 6.12.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.18.40 <= 6.18.*unaffected
LinuxLinux7.1.5 <= 7.1.*unaffected
LinuxLinux7.2 <= *unaffected

Weaknesses

References