In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
mm/secretmem: fix use-after-free race in fault handler
When a page fault occurs in a secret memory file created with
`memfd_secret(2)`, the kernel will allocate a new folio for it, mark the
underlying page as not-present in the direct map, and add it to the file
mapping.
If two tasks cause a fault in the same page concurrently, both could end
up allocating a folio and removing the page from the direct map, but only
one would succeed in adding the folio to the file mapping. The task that
failed undoes the effects of its attempt by (a) freeing the folio again
and (b) putting the page back into the direct map. However, by doing
these two operations in this order, the page becomes available to the
allocator again before it is placed back in the direct mapping.
If another task attempts to allocate the page between (a) and (b), and the
kernel tries to access it via the direct map, it would result in a
supervisor not-present page fault.
Fix the ordering to restore the direct map before the folio is freed.
mm/secretmem: fix use-after-free race in fault handler
When a page fault occurs in a secret memory file created with
`memfd_secret(2)`, the kernel will allocate a new folio for it, mark the
underlying page as not-present in the direct map, and add it to the file
mapping.
If two tasks cause a fault in the same page concurrently, both could end
up allocating a folio and removing the page from the direct map, but only
one would succeed in adding the folio to the file mapping. The task that
failed undoes the effects of its attempt by (a) freeing the folio again
and (b) putting the page back into the direct map. However, by doing
these two operations in this order, the page becomes available to the
allocator again before it is placed back in the direct mapping.
If another task attempts to allocate the page between (a) and (b), and the
kernel tries to access it via the direct map, it would result in a
supervisor not-present page fault.
Fix the ordering to restore the direct map before the folio is freed.
Metrics
Affected Vendors & Products
Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Sat, 06 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/secretmem: fix use-after-free race in fault handler When a page fault occurs in a secret memory file created with `memfd_secret(2)`, the kernel will allocate a new folio for it, mark the underlying page as not-present in the direct map, and add it to the file mapping. If two tasks cause a fault in the same page concurrently, both could end up allocating a folio and removing the page from the direct map, but only one would succeed in adding the folio to the file mapping. The task that failed undoes the effects of its attempt by (a) freeing the folio again and (b) putting the page back into the direct map. However, by doing these two operations in this order, the page becomes available to the allocator again before it is placed back in the direct mapping. If another task attempts to allocate the page between (a) and (b), and the kernel tries to access it via the direct map, it would result in a supervisor not-present page fault. Fix the ordering to restore the direct map before the folio is freed. | |
| Title | mm/secretmem: fix use-after-free race in fault handler | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2025-12-06T21:50:54.629Z
Reserved: 2025-04-16T07:20:57.183Z
Link: CVE-2025-40272
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2025-12-06T22:15:54.887
Modified: 2025-12-06T22:15:54.887
Link: CVE-2025-40272
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.