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CVE-2026-93218

Linux: mm/huge_memory: skip device-private PMDs in madvise_free_huge_pmd

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.15%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 4% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in5e3026bf736498115884d6c7bd0308ba29e0474cFixed versionCVE List
Published24 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 5e3026bf736498115884d6c7bd0308ba29e0474cLinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/huge_memory: skip device-private PMDs in madvise_free_huge_pmd

madvise_free_pte_range() checks pmd_trans_huge(*pmd) unlocked, then madvise_free_huge_pmd() takes pmd_trans_huge_lock(). pmd_is_huge() returns true for a device-private PMD, so orig_pmd can be device-private and enter the !pmd_present() branch.

Skip device-private PMDs in that non-present branch and continue to out before calling pmd_folio(). Downgrade the check to VM_WARN_ON_ONCE() so an unexpected PMD softleaf logs a warning rather than panicking. Drop the thp_migration_supported() guard: it expands to IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARCH_SUPPORTS_PMD_SOFTLEAF), and both pmd_is_migration_entry() and pmd_is_device_private_entry() already return false when that config is not selected, so the guard suppresses only the case where the warning would already be silent.

Potential trigger: an HMM-based GPU driver races with madvise(MADV_FREE): migrate_vma_pages() flips the PMD to a device-private entry between the caller's pmd_trans_huge() check and the callee's pmd_trans_huge_lock().

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 6

  • Linuxaffected: 368076f52ebeecd33e10a9f80905d7508b6b6149 before 5e3026bf736498115884d6c7bd0308ba29e0474cCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 368076f52ebeecd33e10a9f80905d7508b6b6149 before ce579dcf730ce5ed8043a5eeea18a3e6706a97e5CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.19CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.19CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.4 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 2