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

mm/huge_memory: skip device-private PMDs in madvise_free_huge_pmd

madvise_free_pte_range() checks pmd_trans_huge(*pmd) unlocked, then
madvise_free_huge_pmd() takes pmd_trans_huge_lock(). pmd_is_huge()
returns true for a device-private PMD, so orig_pmd can be device-private
and enter the !pmd_present() branch.

Skip device-private PMDs in that non-present branch and continue to out
before calling pmd_folio(). Downgrade the check to VM_WARN_ON_ONCE() so
an unexpected PMD softleaf logs a warning rather than panicking. Drop the
thp_migration_supported() guard: it expands to
IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARCH_SUPPORTS_PMD_SOFTLEAF), and both
pmd_is_migration_entry() and pmd_is_device_private_entry() already return
false when that config is not selected, so the guard suppresses only the
case where the warning would already be silent.

Potential trigger: an HMM-based GPU driver races with madvise(MADV_FREE):
migrate_vma_pages() flips the PMD to a device-private entry between the
caller's pmd_trans_huge() check and the callee's pmd_trans_huge_lock().
Published: 2026-09-24
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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History

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/huge_memory: skip device-private PMDs in madvise_free_huge_pmd madvise_free_pte_range() checks pmd_trans_huge(*pmd) unlocked, then madvise_free_huge_pmd() takes pmd_trans_huge_lock(). pmd_is_huge() returns true for a device-private PMD, so orig_pmd can be device-private and enter the !pmd_present() branch. Skip device-private PMDs in that non-present branch and continue to out before calling pmd_folio(). Downgrade the check to VM_WARN_ON_ONCE() so an unexpected PMD softleaf logs a warning rather than panicking. Drop the thp_migration_supported() guard: it expands to IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARCH_SUPPORTS_PMD_SOFTLEAF), and both pmd_is_migration_entry() and pmd_is_device_private_entry() already return false when that config is not selected, so the guard suppresses only the case where the warning would already be silent. Potential trigger: an HMM-based GPU driver races with madvise(MADV_FREE): migrate_vma_pages() flips the PMD to a device-private entry between the caller's pmd_trans_huge() check and the callee's pmd_trans_huge_lock().
Title mm/huge_memory: skip device-private PMDs in madvise_free_huge_pmd
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-24T15:10:41.370Z

Reserved: 2026-09-17T16:02:15.094Z

Link: CVE-2026-93218

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-24T16:17:16.907

Modified: 2026-09-24T16:17:16.907

Link: CVE-2026-93218

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.