CVE-2026-68096: audit: fix recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe()
CSIRTS triage
- What
- Audit subsystem contains recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe() function.
- Who is affected
- Systems running affected Linux kernel versions with audit subsystem enabled.
- Urgency
- Medium priority; deadlock causes kernel hang but requires specific audit configuration to trigger.
- Action
- Apply kernel patch to fix locking order or use proper spinlock instead of recursive locks.
AI-assisted analysis generated from the source advisory — verify against the original.
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Details
Original advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68096
Exploitation outlook
EPSS (FIRST.org) estimates each CVE’s probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — here is the CSIRTS.com read on those numbers.
- Low exploitation riskCVE-2026-680960.47% 30-day exploitation probability — currently an unlikely target, but scores change as exploit code circulates. Riskier than 39% of all EPSS-scored CVEs.
Referenced CVEs
| CVE | CSIRTS overview | External |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-68096 | coverage & exploitation status | NVD · CVE.org |
Same CVEs, other sources
How other CERTs, PSIRTs and databases cover the vulnerabilities in this advisory.
Recent advisories for audit
A cluster of recent advisories against the same product widens the attack surface — attackers routinely chain freshly published CVEs on one product, so review these together.
- highCVE-2026-74512: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-a…nvd · 2026-08-15
- highCVE-2026-72455: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: apparmor: fix uninitialise…nvd · 2026-08-15
- mediumCVE-2026-68969: Apache Airflow wrote Variable values and Connection `extra` contents to the audit log in clear…nvd · 2026-08-12
- highCVE-2026-72544: An integrity verification vulnerability in OpenSignLabs OpenSign through 2.37.0 allows unauthe…nvd · 2026-08-11
- highCVE-2026-68096: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix recursive locki…nvd · 2026-08-10
- unknownCVE-2026-46358: OpenBao is an open source identity-based secrets management system. Prior to version 2.5.4, Op…nvd · 2026-08-07
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