CVE-2026-89961
powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population vmemmap_populate_compound_pages() uses addr_pfn to determine the PFN offset within a compound page and to decide whether the current vmemmap slot should be populated as a head page mapping or should reuse a tail page mapping. However, addr_pfn is advanced manually in parallel with addr. The loop itself progresses in vmemmap address space, so each PAGE_SIZE step in addr covers PAGE_SIZE / sizeof(struct page) struct page slots. Since addr_pfn is compared against nr_pages in data-PFN units, it should advance by the same number of PFNs. The existing manual increments do not match that and therefore do not reliably track the PFN corresponding to the current addr. As a result, pfn_offset can be computed from the wrong PFN and the code can make the head/tail decision for the wrong compound-page position. Fix this by deriving addr_pfn directly from the current vmemmap address instead of carrying it as loop state.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 16, 2026, 11:17 a.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 16, 2026, 3:18 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to include the fix.
- Verify the vmemmap address PFN calculation.
- Review memory management code for similar issues.
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Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
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weaknesses.
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CVE Modified by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Sep. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Sep. 16, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population vmemmap_populate_compound_pages() uses addr_pfn to determine the PFN offset within a compound page and to decide whether the current vmemmap slot should be populated as a head page mapping or should reuse a tail page mapping. However, addr_pfn is advanced manually in parallel with addr. The loop itself progresses in vmemmap address space, so each PAGE_SIZE step in addr covers PAGE_SIZE / sizeof(struct page) struct page slots. Since addr_pfn is compared against nr_pages in data-PFN units, it should advance by the same number of PFNs. The existing manual increments do not match that and therefore do not reliably track the PFN corresponding to the current addr. As a result, pfn_offset can be computed from the wrong PFN and the code can make the head/tail decision for the wrong compound-page position. Fix this by deriving addr_pfn directly from the current vmemmap address instead of carrying it as loop state. Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/89xxx/CVE-2026-89961.json">CVE-2026-89961</a> Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7968852a7ca3ce81477ec5b4494a28d612f35a97 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89a4ae32764172468dea303eb6ae90fe6c859712 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c914b7a0bd18834505c65f22225ce22c152b2d9 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b96be860673f9fbbf12cdadb0b25fc4d6d4d207f Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e163c7184acf36ac20a248498f4a16016057ca01