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

mm/page_alloc: prevent pcp corruption with SMP=n

The kernel test robot has reported:

BUG: spinlock trylock failure on UP on CPU#0, kcompactd0/28
lock: 0xffff888807e35ef0, .magic: dead4ead, .owner: kcompactd0/28, .owner_cpu: 0
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 28 Comm: kcompactd0 Not tainted 6.18.0-rc5-00127-ga06157804399 #1 PREEMPT 8cc09ef94dcec767faa911515ce9e609c45db470
Call Trace:
<IRQ>
__dump_stack (lib/dump_stack.c:95)
dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:123)
dump_stack (lib/dump_stack.c:130)
spin_dump (kernel/locking/spinlock_debug.c:71)
do_raw_spin_trylock (kernel/locking/spinlock_debug.c:?)
_raw_spin_trylock (include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:89 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:138)
__free_frozen_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2973)
___free_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:5295)
__free_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:5334)
tlb_remove_table_rcu (include/linux/mm.h:? include/linux/mm.h:3122 include/asm-generic/tlb.h:220 mm/mmu_gather.c:227 mm/mmu_gather.c:290)
? __cfi_tlb_remove_table_rcu (mm/mmu_gather.c:289)
? rcu_core (kernel/rcu/tree.c:?)
rcu_core (include/linux/rcupdate.h:341 kernel/rcu/tree.c:2607 kernel/rcu/tree.c:2861)
rcu_core_si (kernel/rcu/tree.c:2879)
handle_softirqs (arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:36 include/trace/events/irq.h:142 kernel/softirq.c:623)
__irq_exit_rcu (arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:36 kernel/softirq.c:725)
irq_exit_rcu (kernel/softirq.c:741)
sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt (arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c:1052)
</IRQ>
<TASK>
RIP: 0010:_raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore (arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:95 include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:152 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:194)
free_pcppages_bulk (mm/page_alloc.c:1494)
drain_pages_zone (include/linux/spinlock.h:391 mm/page_alloc.c:2632)
__drain_all_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2731)
drain_all_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2747)
kcompactd (mm/compaction.c:3115)
kthread (kernel/kthread.c:465)
? __cfi_kcompactd (mm/compaction.c:3166)
? __cfi_kthread (kernel/kthread.c:412)
ret_from_fork (arch/x86/kernel/process.c:164)
? __cfi_kthread (kernel/kthread.c:412)
ret_from_fork_asm (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:255)
</TASK>

Matthew has analyzed the report and identified that in drain_page_zone()
we are in a section protected by spin_lock(&pcp->lock) and then get an
interrupt that attempts spin_trylock() on the same lock. The code is
designed to work this way without disabling IRQs and occasionally fail the
trylock with a fallback. However, the SMP=n spinlock implementation
assumes spin_trylock() will always succeed, and thus it's normally a
no-op. Here the enabled lock debugging catches the problem, but otherwise
it could cause a corruption of the pcp structure.

The problem has been introduced by commit 574907741599 ("mm/page_alloc:
leave IRQs enabled for per-cpu page allocations"). The pcp locking scheme
recognizes the need for disabling IRQs to prevent nesting spin_trylock()
sections on SMP=n, but the need to prevent the nesting in spin_lock() has
not been recognized. Fix it by introducing local wrappers that change the
spin_lock() to spin_lock_iqsave() with SMP=n and use them in all places
that do spin_lock(&pcp->lock).

[vbabka@suse.cz: add pcp_ prefix to the spin_lock_irqsave wrappers, per Steven]
Published: 2026-01-31
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Kernel memory corruption
Action: Immediate patch
AI Analysis

Impact

The Linux kernel contains a bug in the per‑CPU page allocator that occurs when SMP is disabled (SMP=n). In this configuration a spinlock trylock can fail inside a critical section, causing corruption of the per‑cpu page allocator structure. This corruption can lead to kernel crashes or, if successfully exploited, compromise kernel integrity by a malicious user with local access.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel releases that include the code paths vulnerable to SMP=n, specifically the 6.19 series from release candidate 1 through 8 and the 6.2 series and earlier. The problem is present in any configuration where the kernel was built with SMP disabled.

Risk and Exploitability

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High) and an EPSS score of less than 1%, indicating low probability of exploitation in the wild at this time. It is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation would require local access and would likely involve triggering a kernel crash or manipulating kernel memory. The attack vector is therefore limited to environments where the system is configured without SMP and an attacker can execute privileged code.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 18, 2026 at 14:25 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for the per‑CPU page allocator lock bug.
  • If an update is not immediately possible, reconfigure the system to run with SMP enabled so that the affected code path is not used.
  • Continuously monitor kernel logs for signs of pcp corruption or kernel crashes and apply updates promptly when they become available.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 18, 2026 at 14:25 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4476-1 linux-6.1 security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6126-1 linux security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6127-1 linux security update
History

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses NVD-CWE-noinfo
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/page_alloc: prevent pcp corruption with SMP=n The kernel test robot has reported: BUG: spinlock trylock failure on UP on CPU#0, kcompactd0/28 lock: 0xffff888807e35ef0, .magic: dead4ead, .owner: kcompactd0/28, .owner_cpu: 0 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 28 Comm: kcompactd0 Not tainted 6.18.0-rc5-00127-ga06157804399 #1 PREEMPT 8cc09ef94dcec767faa911515ce9e609c45db470 Call Trace: <IRQ> __dump_stack (lib/dump_stack.c:95) dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:123) dump_stack (lib/dump_stack.c:130) spin_dump (kernel/locking/spinlock_debug.c:71) do_raw_spin_trylock (kernel/locking/spinlock_debug.c:?) _raw_spin_trylock (include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:89 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:138) __free_frozen_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2973) ___free_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:5295) __free_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:5334) tlb_remove_table_rcu (include/linux/mm.h:? include/linux/mm.h:3122 include/asm-generic/tlb.h:220 mm/mmu_gather.c:227 mm/mmu_gather.c:290) ? __cfi_tlb_remove_table_rcu (mm/mmu_gather.c:289) ? rcu_core (kernel/rcu/tree.c:?) rcu_core (include/linux/rcupdate.h:341 kernel/rcu/tree.c:2607 kernel/rcu/tree.c:2861) rcu_core_si (kernel/rcu/tree.c:2879) handle_softirqs (arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:36 include/trace/events/irq.h:142 kernel/softirq.c:623) __irq_exit_rcu (arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:36 kernel/softirq.c:725) irq_exit_rcu (kernel/softirq.c:741) sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt (arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c:1052) </IRQ> <TASK> RIP: 0010:_raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore (arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:95 include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:152 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:194) free_pcppages_bulk (mm/page_alloc.c:1494) drain_pages_zone (include/linux/spinlock.h:391 mm/page_alloc.c:2632) __drain_all_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2731) drain_all_pages (mm/page_alloc.c:2747) kcompactd (mm/compaction.c:3115) kthread (kernel/kthread.c:465) ? __cfi_kcompactd (mm/compaction.c:3166) ? __cfi_kthread (kernel/kthread.c:412) ret_from_fork (arch/x86/kernel/process.c:164) ? __cfi_kthread (kernel/kthread.c:412) ret_from_fork_asm (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:255) </TASK> Matthew has analyzed the report and identified that in drain_page_zone() we are in a section protected by spin_lock(&pcp->lock) and then get an interrupt that attempts spin_trylock() on the same lock. The code is designed to work this way without disabling IRQs and occasionally fail the trylock with a fallback. However, the SMP=n spinlock implementation assumes spin_trylock() will always succeed, and thus it's normally a no-op. Here the enabled lock debugging catches the problem, but otherwise it could cause a corruption of the pcp structure. The problem has been introduced by commit 574907741599 ("mm/page_alloc: leave IRQs enabled for per-cpu page allocations"). The pcp locking scheme recognizes the need for disabling IRQs to prevent nesting spin_trylock() sections on SMP=n, but the need to prevent the nesting in spin_lock() has not been recognized. Fix it by introducing local wrappers that change the spin_lock() to spin_lock_iqsave() with SMP=n and use them in all places that do spin_lock(&pcp->lock). [vbabka@suse.cz: add pcp_ prefix to the spin_lock_irqsave wrappers, per Steven]
Title mm/page_alloc: prevent pcp corruption with SMP=n
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-02-09T08:37:19.230Z

Reserved: 2026-01-13T15:37:45.941Z

Link: CVE-2026-23025

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-01-31T12:16:05.820

Modified: 2026-03-25T16:04:16.947

Link: CVE-2026-23025

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-01-31T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-23025 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-04-18T14:30:02Z

Weaknesses