CVE-2026-54904
Concurrent Ruby : `AtomicReference#update` livelocks when the stored value is `Float::NAN`
Impact
concurrent-ruby is a modern concurrency tools for Ruby. Prior to 1.3.7, Concurrent::AtomicReference#update can enter a permanent busy retry loop when the current value is Float::NAN. The issue is caused by the interaction between AtomicReference#update, which retries until compare_and_set(old_value, new_value) succeeds; Numeric compare_and_set, which checks old == old_value before attempting the underlying atomic swap.; and Ruby NaN semantics, where Float::NAN == Float::NAN is always false. As a result, once an AtomicReference contains Float::NAN, calling #update repeatedly evaluates the caller's block and never returns. In services that store externally derived numeric values in an AtomicReference, this can cause CPU exhaustion or permanent request/job hangs. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.3.7.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| rubygems | concurrent-ruby | < 1.3.7 | 1.3.7 |
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions |
|---|---|---|
| Rubyconcurrency | Concurrent Ruby | before 1.3.7 |
Weakness classification
References
- NVD record
- CVE.org record
- GitHub advisory
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-h8w8-99g7-qmvj
- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/security/advisories/GHSA-h8w8-99g7-qmvj
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54904
- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/commit/6e37e0644b83b182971dc540d2e4bee38df61386
- https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby/releases/tag/v1.3.7
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/concurrent-ruby/CVE-2026-54904.yml
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord/SearchResults?query=CVE-2026-54904