A vulnerability in the Linux kernel RAID implementation allows for potential data integrity loss due to incomplete handling of non-blocking write requests.

The md subsystem improperly supports the REQ_NOWAIT flag for RAID levels 1, 10, and 456, which causes the system to fail to distinguish between queue pressure and device failure, leading to divergent data across mirrors. This requires local, authenticated access to trigger the condition.

Successful exploitation results in data corruption or loss, as the RAID subsystem fails to maintain consistency between mirrored disks. With a CVSS score of 7.1, this vulnerability poses a high risk to data integrity and system availability, which could lead to significant operational disruption in production environments relying on software RAID configurations.

Immediate Action: Update the Linux kernel to version 5.16 or higher, or apply the upstream patches 9bb9504e2d8f3d22ef12d51c333dd499f402dc8f and 3fe5b7c9fb72ccc29bfd0f955b124892af7e3674 to the affected kernel source.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor system logs for kernel-level warnings or errors related to the md subsystem and RAID array synchronization status.

Compensating Controls: Ensure secondary backups are current and verified, as there are limited runtime controls to prevent this kernel-level logic flaw once the system is actively processing I/O.

Public Exploit Available: Unknown.

Given the potential for silent data corruption, organizations utilizing Linux kernel software RAID should prioritize patching as part of their next scheduled maintenance cycle. Verify that the updated kernel version includes the specific commits addressing the REQ_NOWAIT implementation to ensure the integrity of storage volumes.