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HIGH

ublk: clean up user copy references on ublk server exit

Published Jan 13, 2026

Description

If a ublk server process releases a ublk char device file, any requests dispatched to the ublk server but not yet completed will retain a ref value of UBLK_REFCOUNT_INIT. Before commit e63d2228ef83 ("ublk: simplify aborting ublk request"), __ublk_fail_req() would decrement the reference count before completing the failed request. However, that commit optimized __ublk_fail_req() to call __ublk_complete_rq() directly without decrementing the request reference count. The leaked reference count incorrectly allows user copy and zero copy operations on the completed ublk request. It also triggers the WARN_ON_ONCE(refcount_read(&io->ref)) warnings in ublk_queue_reinit() and ublk_deinit_queue(). Commit c5c5eb24ed61 ("ublk: avoid ublk_io_release() called after ublk char dev is closed") already fixed the issue for ublk devices using UBLK_F_SUPPORT_ZERO_COPY or UBLK_F_AUTO_BUF_REG. However, the reference count leak also affects UBLK_F_USER_COPY, the other reference-counted data copy mode. Fix the condition in ublk_check_and_reset_active_ref() to include all reference-counted data copy modes. This ensures that any ublk requests still owned by the ublk server when it exits have their reference counts reset to 0.

Affected products

Remediation

Red Hat statement

The ublk subsystem is a relatively new feature for userspace block device implementations. This bug triggers kernel warnings rather than crashes, and exploitation would require a malicious or buggy ublk server application. Systems not using ublk devices are completely unaffected.

Metrics

Weaknesses (1)

References (7)

Change history (0)

No recorded changes yet.

Sources
CVE.org / MITRE
Status PUBLISHED
Assigner Linux
Published Jan 13, 2026
Updated Aug 5, 2026
Reserved Jan 13, 2026
NVD
Status Deferred
Modified Jul 30, 2026
Red Hat
Severity Low
Public date Jan 13, 2026