The vulnerability is a race condition in the Linux kernel’s memory cgroup shrinker code. It allows concurrent teardown and expansion of shrinker_info, leading to double free or use‑after‑free errors. This can corrupt kernel memory and cause crashes or potentially privilege escalation if the attacker can trigger the race.

All Linux kernel versions that include the legacy mm/shrinker implementation are potentially affected, including releases prior to the patch commit such as Linux kernel 7.2 rc1 and rc2. The issue is present in the generic Linux kernel, regardless of distribution vendor.

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates high severity, while the EPSS score is below 1% and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, suggesting a low likelihood of exploitation. The most likely attack vector is local, occurring during memory cgroup creation or teardown, and requires a process with sufficient privileges to manipulate cgroups. Successful exploitation could lead to kernel crashes or compromise system integrity, but no confirmed exploits have been reported to date.