The Linux kernel mistakenly reused stale values in page->private when freeing pages, allowing the swap subsystem to treat outdated data as a valid continuation list. This leads to a use‑after‑free condition that corrupts kernel memory and causes a crash, as observed by the KASAN error in __do_sys_swapoff. The weakness is a use‑after‑free condition (CWE‑909) and can bring the system down, but there is no evidence of remote code execution or integrity compromise.

All Linux kernel versions lacking the patch that clears page->private in free_pages_prepare() are affected. The vulnerability touches several subsystems—slub, shmem, ttm, among others—that rely on page->private for their internal state, yet the damage manifests in the swap subsystem. No specific version numbers were supplied, so the impact applies to any kernel before the fix was merged.

The vulnerability has no publicly listed KEV status and no EPSS score is available, but the nature of the fault means a local attacker who can trigger high-order page allocation or execute swapoff will likely cause a fatal kernel panic. The CVSS score of 7.0 indicates high severity; however, the potential for a complete system reboot gives it a moderate to high risk. The attack vector is inferred as local privileged or root activity that can execute swapoff or manipulate memory allocation.