Kernel panics in assoc_array_gc() routine due to triggering BUG_ON() condition

Issue

The kernel panics with the following message:
RHEL8:

kernel BUG at lib/assoc_array.c:1596!

RHEL7:

[386593.409820] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[386593.410322] kernel BUG at lib/assoc_array.c:1608!
[386593.410656] invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP 
[386593.410954] Modules linked in: vsock_diag unix_diag af_packet_diag netlink_diag udp_diag tcp_diag inet_diag falcon_lsm_serviceable(PE) falcon_nf_netcontain(E) falcon_kal(E) falcon_lsm_pinned_17219(E) secvm2(POE) nf_conntrack_netlink secfs2(POE) seccrypto(POE) nfnetlink_queue ip6table_mangle ip6table_nat nf_nat_ipv6 ip6table_raw iptable_mangle xt_CT iptable_raw xt_NFLOG nfnetlink_log xt_set xt_multiport xt_conntrack nfs_layout_nfsv41_files iptable_nat nf_nat_ipv4 nf_nat ip_set_hash_ip ip_set_hash_net ip_set nf_conntrack_ipv6 nf_defrag_ipv6 ip6table_filter ip6_tables xt_LOG nf_conntrack_tftp nf_conntrack_ftp nf_conntrack_ipv4 nf_defrag_ipv4 nf_conntrack libcrc32c iptable_filter nfsv3 nfs_acl rpcsec_gss_krb5 nfsv4 dns_resolver nfs lockd grace fscache vmw_vsock_vmci_transport vsock sb_edac iosf_mbi vmwgfx
[386593.413144]  crc32_pclmul ppdev ghash_clmulni_intel vmw_balloon aesni_intel ttm lrw gf128mul glue_helper ablk_helper drm_kms_helper cryptd joydev pcspkr syscopyarea sysfillrect sysimgblt fb_sys_fops sg drm drm_panel_orientation_quirks vmw_vmci parport_pc i2c_piix4 parport dm_multipath binfmt_misc auth_rpcgss sunrpc ip_tables ext4 mbcache jbd2 sr_mod cdrom sd_mod crc_t10dif crct10dif_generic ata_generic pata_acpi ata_piix mptspi nfit libata scsi_transport_spi crct10dif_pclmul crct10dif_common mptscsih libnvdimm crc32c_intel serio_raw mptbase vmxnet3 floppy dm_mirror dm_region_hash dm_log dm_mod fuse
[386593.415578] CPU: 15 PID: 15628 Comm: kworker/15:2 Kdump: loaded Tainted: P           OE  ------------ T 3.10.0-1160.119.1.el7.x86_64 #1
[386593.416239] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VMware Virtual Platform/440BX Desktop Reference Platform, BIOS 6.00 12/12/2018
[386593.416942] Workqueue: events key_garbage_collector
[386593.417640] task: ffff97cd00353180 ti: ffff97d91f458000 task.ti: ffff97d91f458000
[386593.418454] RIP: 0010:[<ffffffffa87bd28f>]  [<ffffffffa87bd28f>] assoc_array_gc+0x4df/0x520
[386593.419542] RSP: 0018:ffff97d91f45bd38  EFLAGS: 00010202
[386593.420979] RAX: 0000000000000009 RBX: 000000000000000c RCX: 0000000000000000
[386593.422125] RDX: 0000000000000002 RSI: ffff97f27a46e241 RDI: ffff97f27a46f440
[386593.422927] RBP: ffff97d91f45bda0 R08: ffff9805fc1a9200 R09: 00000001802a0026
[386593.423722] R10: 00000000fc1a8301 R11: ffff9805fc1a9200 R12: 0000000000000009
[386593.424511] R13: ffff97ffcac778c0 R14: 0000000000000008 R15: 0000000000000002
[386593.425308] FS:  0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff98077f5c0000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[386593.426149] CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[386593.427143] CR2: 00007f93008c9d70 CR3: 0000003f39062000 CR4: 00000000001607e0
[386593.428443] Call Trace:
[386593.429514]  [<ffffffffa870d880>] ? keyring_detect_cycle_iterator+0x30/0x30
[386593.430646]  [<ffffffffa870edf5>] keyring_gc+0x75/0x80
[386593.431521]  [<ffffffffa870c117>] key_garbage_collector+0x177/0x390
[386593.432448]  [<ffffffffa84c32ef>] process_one_work+0x17f/0x440
[386593.433503]  [<ffffffffa84c4436>] worker_thread+0x126/0x3c0
[386593.434399]  [<ffffffffa84c4310>] ? manage_workers.isra.26+0x2b0/0x2b0
[386593.435314]  [<ffffffffa84cb621>] kthread+0xd1/0xe0
[386593.436248]  [<ffffffffa84cb550>] ? insert_kthread_work+0x40/0x40
[386593.437180]  [<ffffffffa8bc51f7>] ret_from_fork_nospec_begin+0x21/0x21
[386593.438107]  [<ffffffffa84cb550>] ? insert_kthread_work+0x40/0x40
[386593.439051] Code: 48 63 45 9c 0f 85 40 ff ff ff 49 89 df 48 8b 5d c0 49 c7 04 24 00 00 00 00 41 c7 44 24 08 00 00 00 00 eb a0 e8 13 23 ce ff 0f 0b <0f> 0b 49 89 df 4c 8b 75 c8 48 8b 5d c0 eb 8a 48 8b 5d c0 48 8b 
[386593.441116] RIP  [<ffffffffa87bd28f>] assoc_array_gc+0x4df/0x520
[386593.442147]  RSP <ffff97d91f45bd38>