Skip to content
OpenAdvisories
Unscored CVE-2026-97945 EUVD-2026-86799GHSA-pxx4-gwjw-xj68

x86/mm: Fix user-space data loss with MADV_FREE and THP

Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Oct 19, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: kernel Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-6.12 Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.14 Package: linux-aws-6.17 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-aws-6.8 Package: linux-aws-7.0 Package: linux-aws-fips Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.14 Package: linux-azure-6.17 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-6.8 Package: linux-azure-7.0 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.14 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.17 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.8 Package: linux-azure-fde-7.0 Package: linux-azure-fips Package: linux-azure-nvidia Package: linux-azure-nvidia-6.14 Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.14 Package: linux-gcp-6.17 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gcp-6.8 Package: linux-gcp-7.0 Package: linux-gcp-fips Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.14 Package: linux-hwe-6.17 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-hwe-7.0 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-6.8 Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.17 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia-7.0 Package: linux-nvidia-bos Package: linux-nvidia-lowlatency Package: linux-nvidia-tegra Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.14 Package: linux-oem-6.17 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oem-7.0 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.14 Package: linux-oracle-6.17 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-oracle-6.8 Package: linux-oracle-7.0 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 Package: linux-realtime-6.17 Package: linux-realtime-6.8 Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.17 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-riscv-6.8 Package: linux-riscv-7.0 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Azure Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

x86/mm: Fix user-space data loss with MADV_FREE and THP

Some of users of Polars (a data analytics library) have lost production
data from this bug. They seem to have just the right combination of
huge pages, MADV_FREE and heavy reclaim pressure.

pmd_modify() masks the old value with (_HPAGE_CHG_MASK & ~_PAGE_DIRTY),
silently discarding the hardware dirty bit. The subsequent
pmd_mksaveddirty() call is supposed to transfer _PAGE_DIRTY into
_PAGE_SAVED_DIRTY when write-protecting, but the dirty bit was already
stripped from the value, so there is nothing left to transfer.

Contrast with pte_modify(), which keeps _PAGE_DIRTY_BITS in its mask,
and pud_modify(), which keeps _HPAGE_CHG_MASK untouched: pmd_modify()
is the odd one out. Any pmd_modify() on a writable, dirty PMD loses
the dirty state.

One visible consequence is data loss with MADV_FREE on PMD-mapped THP:

memset(buf, 0x5A, size); // PMD-mapped THP, PMD dirty
madvise(buf, size, MADV_FREE); // PMD cleaned but left writable,
// folio marked lazyfree
memset(buf, 0x5A, size); // hardware sets _PAGE_DIRTY again
mprotect(buf, size, PROT_READ); // pmd_modify() drops the dirty bit
mprotect(buf, size, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE);
// ... memory pressure ...

Reclaim (e.g. under memcg pressure) then finds the lazyfree folio with
no dirty bit set anywhere and frees it in
__discard_anon_folio_pmd_locked(), even though the data was rewritten
after MADV_FREE; subsequent reads fault in fresh zero pages. NUMA
hinting alone can trigger the same loss, as do_huge_pmd_numa_page()
restores the PMD through pmd_modify() as well.

PMD-mapped file THPs are affected too: mprotect()/NUMA hinting dropping
the dirty bit means rewritten data is never written back.

Fix it by keeping _PAGE_DIRTY in the preserved mask, exactly like
pte_modify() and pud_modify() do. The existing
pmd_mksaveddirty()/pmd_clear_saveddirty() pair then performs the
hardware-dirty <-> saved-dirty transition based on the write bit,
preserving the shadow-stack encoding rules.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 6.6 6.6.158

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 7.2.7-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.12.111-1 —
Debian 12 linux-6.12 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS linux-bluefield 6.8.0-1036.41 —
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux 7.0.0-42.42 USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-aws 7.0.0-1016.17 USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-azure 7.0.0-1020.21 USN-9019-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 7.0.0-1019.19 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gcp 7.0.0-1016.18 USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-gke 7.0.0-1010.11 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-ibm +1 7.0.0-1017.17 USN-8960-1, USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-nvidia +1 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-oracle 7.0.0-1015.16 USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-raspi 7.0.0-1023.23 USN-9021-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-realtime 7.0.0-43.43.1 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS linux-riscv 7.0.0-42.42.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux 6.8.0-149.149 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws 6.8.0-1069.74 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws-7.0 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure 6.8.0-1073.82 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 6.8.0-1071.78 USN-9039-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-7.0 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp 6.8.0-1073.81 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-7.0 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gke 6.8.0-1068.77 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gkeop 6.8.0-1053.57 USN-9023-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-7.0 7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1 USN-8959-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-ibm 6.8.0-1069.70 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-lowlatency 6.8.0-149.149.1 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia 6.8.0-1067.70 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-lowlatency 6.8.0-1067.70.1 USN-9040-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle 6.8.0-1067.71 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle-7.0 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 USN-9020-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi 6.8.0-1068.72 USN-9025-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-7.0 7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-vmware 6.8.0-1010.10 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws-6.8 6.8.0-1069.74~22.04.1 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-6.8 6.8.0-1073.82~22.04.1 USN-9026-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-6.8 6.8.0-1071.78~22.04.1 USN-9026-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.8 6.8.0-1073.81~22.04.1 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-149.149~22.04.1 USN-9066-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm-6.8 6.8.0-1069.70~22.04.1 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-149.149.1~22.04.1 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle-6.8 6.8.0-1067.71~22.04.1 USN-9025-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +33 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-raspi-realtime 6.8.0-2056.58 USN-9025-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime 6.8.1-1064.65 USN-9023-1
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.14 +1 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.8 6.8.1-1064.65~22.04.1 USN-9024-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-aws-fips 6.8.0-1069.74+fips1 USN-9023-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fips 6.8.0-1073.82+fips1 USN-9022-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-fips No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-fips 6.8.0-1073.81+fips1 USN-9023-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-64kb +5 6.4.0-150700.53.87.3 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150700.53.87.3.150700.17.49.2 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-obs-build 6.4.0-150700.53.87.2 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-syms 6.4.0-150700.53.87.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-64kb +6 6.4.0-150600.23.143.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150600.23.143.1.150600.12.66.3 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
Show 9 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.40.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24446-1
SLES for SAP 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.40.1.160000.2.29 SUSE-SU-2026:24446-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP6 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150600.23.143.1.150600.12.66.3 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP6 kernel-docs +4 6.4.0-150600.23.143.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-64kb +8 6.12.0-160000.40.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24446-1, SUSE-SU-2026:24437-1
SLES 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.40.1.160000.2.29 SUSE-SU-2026:24446-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.40.1.160000.2.29 SUSE-SU-2026:24422-1
SLE Micro 6.2 kernel-rt +5 6.12.0-160000.40.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24422-1, SUSE-SU-2026:24386-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-159998.54.1.159998.21.39 SUSE-SU-2026:24379-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-rt +4 6.4.0-159998.54.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24553-1, SUSE-SU-2026:24379-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-159998.54.1.159998.21.40 SUSE-SU-2026:24371-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-rt +4 6.4.0-159998.54.1 SUSE-SU-2026:24473-1, SUSE-SU-2026:24371-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-default 6.4.0-150700.53.87.3 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_22 1-150700.1.3.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4940-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_23 1-150700.15.3.2 SUSE-SU-2026:4935-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-default 6.4.0-150600.23.143.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_33 1-150600.13.5.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4934-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 kernel-rt +2 6.4.0-150700.7.81.1 SUSE-SU-2026:4940-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Tumbleweed kernel-source 7.2.9-1.1 openSUSE-SU-2026:12074-1
openSUSE Leap 16.0 kernel-default-base 6.12.0-160000.40.1.160000.2.29 openSUSE-SU-2026:22167-1
openSUSE Leap 16.0 kernel-rt +11 6.12.0-160000.40.1 openSUSE-SU-2026:22167-1

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.18.54-121.166 +1 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3193, ALAS2023-2026-3192
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.12 +11 1:6.12.111-136.204.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3193
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.18 +12 1:6.18.54-121.166.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3192

Azure Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Azure Linux 3 kernel 6.6.158.1-1 —

Oracle Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Oracle Linux 9 kernel-uek +34 6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el10uek ELSA-2026-500374

Advisories 30

References