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CVE-2026-93259

Linux: powerpc/irq: Fix missing r2 clobber in PCREL inline assembly

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.19%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 7% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in602ee44415f3eaa7893f7fc488c7c1d4a0bdbd7aAlso 90d953002cf0b233dd053a0e7cb67ab79cebd0e3, 7b0093b638c8f2b94b0778a69fd1ccad54299b29 and 1 moreCVE List
Published24 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 602ee44415f3eaa7893f7fc488c7c1d4a0bdbd7aLinuxCVE List
  • 90d953002cf0b233dd053a0e7cb67ab79cebd0e3LinuxCVE List
  • 7b0093b638c8f2b94b0778a69fd1ccad54299b29LinuxCVE List
  • 00be69070d91d2be978e752bb117a0a4db0e1281LinuxCVE 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:

powerpc/irq: Fix missing r2 clobber in PCREL inline assembly

In CONFIG_PPC_KERNEL_PCREL mode, r2 is no longer reserved for the TOC pointer and is available as a caller-saved register [0].

Both call_do_irq() and call_do_softirq() use inline assembly to call functions with stack switching, but fail to list r2 in their clobber lists. This causes the compiler to assume r2 is preserved across these calls, leading to register corruption when the called functions (__do_irq and __do_softirq) clobber r2.

As a result of this kernel crash during interrupt handling is seen and the kernel fails to boot:

BUG: Unable to handle kernel data access on write at 0xc000000404697638 Faulting instruction address: 0xc0000000000181ec Oops: Kernel access of bad area, sig: 11 [#1] NIP [c0000000000181ec] __do_IRQ+0x6c/0xc0

With older GCC, the compiler would conservatively allocate callee-saved registers (like r31) for values spanning function calls, accidentally avoiding the bug:

<__do_IRQ>: 00 00 00 60 nop a6 02 08 7c mflr r0 f8 ff e1 fb std r31,-8(r1) f0 ff c1 fb std r30,-16(r1) 2d 03 10 06 pla r31,53297316

...

3d e8 ff 4b bl c0000000000165ac <__do_irq> 00 00 21 e8 ld r1,0(r1) 28 00 4d e9 ld r10,40(r13) 40 00 21 38 addi r1,r1,64 2a f9 aa 7f stdx r29,r10,r31

With newer GCC 14, the compiler uses r2 for such values, exposing the missing clobber specification:

<__do_IRQ>: 00 00 00 60 nop a6 02 08 7c mflr r0 f0 ff c1 fb std r30,-16(r1) f8 ff e1 fb std r31,-8(r1) 29 02 10 06 pla r2,36252592 # c0000000022aadc0 <__irq_regs>

...

85 dc ff 4b bl c000000000015ee0 <__do_irq> 00 00 21 e8 ld r1,0(r1) 28 00 2d e9 ld r9,40(r13) 30 00 21 38 addi r1,r1,48 2a 11 c9 7f stdx r30,r9,r2

Fix this by adding r2 to the clobber list for both call_do_irq() and call_do_softirq() when CONFIG_PPC_KERNEL_PCREL is enabled.

[0]: https://www.mail-archive.com/gcc-patches@gcc.gnu.org/msg313226.html

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 12

  • Linuxaffected: 7e3a68be42e10f5fa5890e97afc0afd992355bc3 before dcc442a49c0f540193910dacdca7506bcadc7ec5CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7e3a68be42e10f5fa5890e97afc0afd992355bc3 before 602ee44415f3eaa7893f7fc488c7c1d4a0bdbd7aCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7e3a68be42e10f5fa5890e97afc0afd992355bc3 before 90d953002cf0b233dd053a0e7cb67ab79cebd0e3CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7e3a68be42e10f5fa5890e97afc0afd992355bc3 before 7b0093b638c8f2b94b0778a69fd1ccad54299b29CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7e3a68be42e10f5fa5890e97afc0afd992355bc3 before 00be69070d91d2be978e752bb117a0a4db0e1281CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.4CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.4CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.157 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.110 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.52 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.6 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 5