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

mm/vmalloc: take vmap_purge_lock in shrinker

decay_va_pool_node() can be invoked concurrently from two paths:
__purge_vmap_area_lazy() when pools are being purged, and the shrinker via
vmap_node_shrink_scan().

However, decay_va_pool_node() is not safe to run concurrently, and the
shrinker path currently lacks serialization, leading to races and possible
leaks.

Protect decay_va_pool_node() by taking vmap_purge_lock in the shrinker
path to ensure serialization with purge users.
Published: 2026-05-27
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

The flaw lies in the Linux kernel’s virtual memory management module. Two code paths can trigger decay_va_pool_node() at the same time: lazy purging of vmap areas and the shrinker’s vmap node scan. Because this function is not re‑entrant, concurrent execution can corrupt internal data structures and leave memory leaks that grow the kernel address space, potentially crashing or destabilising the system. The vulnerability is a race condition and improper synchronization problem.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel builds that ship the vmalloc subsystem are impacted, as the advisory does not list particular kernel versions. The issue is introduced in the core kernel code, so any distribution using the affected linux_kernel is subject to the race until the commit that adds vmap_purge_lock in the shrinker path is merged.

Risk and Exploitability

A direct CVSS rating is not supplied, and the EPSS score is unavailable. Additionally, the vulnerability is not present in CISA’s KEV catalog. The available information suggests that exploitation would require code that can trigger the concurrent paths inside the kernel, which typically implies privileged local access. Thus the threat is primarily a local‑privilege or compromised‑local‑code scenario that could lead to denial of service via a memory leak. No remote exploitation vector is documented in the description.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 27, 2026 at 21:23 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade the Linux kernel to a release that contains the commit adding vmap_purge_lock serialization.
  • If an upgrade cannot be performed immediately, consider temporarily disabling the kernel memory shrinker or throttling vmap area purging to reduce the chances that the race can be triggered.
  • Verify that the system is not running any custom patches that remove the vmap_purge_lock in the shrinker path and monitor kernel logs for memory allocation anomalies.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 27, 2026 at 21:23 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 27 May 2026 21:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-362
CWE-832

Wed, 27 May 2026 14:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/vmalloc: take vmap_purge_lock in shrinker decay_va_pool_node() can be invoked concurrently from two paths: __purge_vmap_area_lazy() when pools are being purged, and the shrinker via vmap_node_shrink_scan(). However, decay_va_pool_node() is not safe to run concurrently, and the shrinker path currently lacks serialization, leading to races and possible leaks. Protect decay_va_pool_node() by taking vmap_purge_lock in the shrinker path to ensure serialization with purge users.
Title mm/vmalloc: take vmap_purge_lock in shrinker
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: 2026-05-27T12:58:43.458Z

Reserved: 2026-05-13T15:03:33.097Z

Link: CVE-2026-46093

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-05-27T14:17:30.860

Modified: 2026-05-27T14:48:03.013

Link: CVE-2026-46093

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-05-27T21:30:34Z

Weaknesses