CVE-2024-40995: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: fix possible infinite loop in tcf_idr_check

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: fix possible infinite loop in tcf_idr_check_alloc() syzbot found hangi

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: fix possible infinite loop in tcf_idr_check_alloc() syzbot found hanging tasks waiting on rtnl_lock [1] A reproducer is available in the syzbot bug. When a request to add multiple actions with the same index is sent, the second request will block forever on the first request. This holds rtnl_lock, and causes tasks to hang. Return -EAGAIN to prevent infinite looping, while keeping documented behavior. [1] INFO: task kworker/1:0:5088 blocked for more than 143 seconds. Not tainted 6.9.0-rc4-syzkaller-00173-g3cdb45594619 #0 "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs" disables this message. task:kworker/1:0 state:D stack:23744 pid:5088 tgid:5088 ppid:2 flags:0x00004000 Workqueue: events_power_efficient reg_check_chans_work Call Trace: <TASK> context_switch kernel/sched/core.c:5409 [inline] __schedule+0xf15/0x5d00 kernel/sched/core.c:6746 __schedule_loop kernel/sched/core.c:6823 [inline] schedule+0xe7/0x350 kernel/sched/core.c:6838 schedule_preempt_disabled+0x13/0x30 kernel/sched/core.c:6895 __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:684 [inline] __mutex_lock+0x5b8/0x9c0 kernel/locking/m

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.29%, higher than 21% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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