CVE-2026-53361
HIGHaf_unix: Set gc_in_progress to true in unix_gc().
Blast Radius
KernelReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Linux packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
af_unix: Set gc_in_progress to true in unix_gc().
Igor Ushakov reported that unix_gc() could run with gc_in_progress being false if the work is scheduled while running:
Thread 1 Thread 2 Thread 3
unix_schedule_gc() unix_schedule_gc()
`- if (!gc_in_progress) `- if (!gc_in_progress)
|- gc_in_progress = true |
`- queue_work() |
unix_gc() <----------------/ |
| |- gc_in_progress = true
... - queue_work() | | - gc_in_progress = false |
|
unix_gc() <---------------------------------------------'
|
... /* gc_in_progress == false */
|
`- gc_in_progress = false
unix_peek_fpl() relies on gc_in_progress not to confuse GC by MSG_PEEK.
Let's set gc_in_progress to true in unix_gc().
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐧Linux | Kernel | ≥ 6.7.0&&< 6.6.144 | 6.6.144 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Kernel. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update Kernel to 6.6.144 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-53361 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-53361 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-53361. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-53361 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-53361 across Linux dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.