The flaw occurs in the Linux kernel memory manager, where a handler calls the free operation on a folio after the mapping lock has been released. This allows the folio to be freed while the mapping still exists, resulting in a use‑after‑free of mapping->a_ops. The flaw can lead to code execution in kernel mode, giving an attacker local privilege escalation.

All current Linux kernel versions are potentially affected until a patched version is installed. The vulnerability is present in the generic Linux kernel, affecting all vendor builds that use the upstream kernel without the patch.

The CVSS score of 9.8 indicates a high severity vulnerability. The EPSS score is less than 1%, suggesting a low probability of exploitation at this time, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. However, because the flaw is a use‑after‑free in the kernel, an attacker with local access could potentially trigger it by manipulating memory mapping operations, leading to privilege escalation.