CVE-2023-52935

mm/khugepaged: fix ->anon_vma race

Published Mar 27, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/khugepaged: fix ->anon_vma race

If an ->anon_vma is attached to the VMA, collapse_and_free_pmd() requires
it to be locked.

Page table traversal is allowed under any one of the mmap lock, the
anon_vma lock (if the VMA is associated with an anon_vma), and the
mapping lock (if the VMA is associated with a mapping); and so to be
able to remove page tables, we must hold all three of them.
retract_page_tables() bails out if an ->anon_vma is attached, but does
this check before holding the mmap lock (as the comment above the check
explains).

If we racily merged an existing ->anon_vma (shared with a child
process) from a neighboring VMA, subsequent rmap traversals on pages
belonging to the child will be able to see the page tables that we are
concurrently removing while assuming that nothing else can access them.

Repeat the ->anon_vma check once we hold the mmap lock to ensure that
there really is no concurrent page table access.

Hitting this bug causes a lockdep warning in collapse_and_free_pmd(),
in the line "lockdep_assert_held_write(&vma->anon_vma->root->rwsem)".
It can also lead to use-after-free access.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4327-1 linux security update
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2023-59755 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/khugepaged: fix ->anon_vma race If an ->anon_vma is attached to the VMA, collapse_and_free_pmd() requires it to be locked. Page table traversal is allowed under any one of the mmap lock, the anon_vma lock (if the VMA is associated with an anon_vma), and the mapping lock (if the VMA is associated with a mapping); and so to be able to remove page tables, we must hold all three of them. retract_page_tables() bails out if an ->anon_vma is attached, but does this check before holding the mmap lock (as the comment above the check explains). If we racily merged an existing ->anon_vma (shared with a child process) from a neighboring VMA, subsequent rmap traversals on pages belonging to the child will be able to see the page tables that we are concurrently removing while assuming that nothing else can access them. Repeat the ->anon_vma check once we hold the mmap lock to ensure that there really is no concurrent page table access. Hitting this bug causes a lockdep warning in collapse_and_free_pmd(), in the line "lockdep_assert_held_write(&vma->anon_vma->root->rwsem)". It can also lead to use-after-free access.
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7909-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7909-2 Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7909-3 Linux kernel (FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7910-1 Linux kernel (Azure FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7909-4 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7910-2 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7909-5 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7933-1 Linux kernel (KVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7938-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Debian
Debian debian Linux
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Debian
Debian debian Linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics threat_severity

Important

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.2:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/khugepaged: fix ->anon_vma race If an ->anon_vma is attached to the VMA, collapse_and_free_pmd() requires it to be locked. Page table traversal is allowed under any one of the mmap lock, the anon_vma lock (if the VMA is associated with an anon_vma), and the mapping lock (if the VMA is associated with a mapping); and so to be able to remove page tables, we must hold all three of them. retract_page_tables() bails out if an ->anon_vma is attached, but does this check before holding the mmap lock (as the comment above the check explains). If we racily merged an existing ->anon_vma (shared with a child process) from a neighboring VMA, subsequent rmap traversals on pages belonging to the child will be able to see the page tables that we are concurrently removing while assuming that nothing else can access them. Repeat the ->anon_vma check once we hold the mmap lock to ensure that there really is no concurrent page table access. Hitting this bug causes a lockdep warning in collapse_and_free_pmd(), in the line "lockdep_assert_held_write(&vma->anon_vma->root->rwsem)". It can also lead to use-after-free access.
Title mm/khugepaged: fix ->anon_vma race
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Aug 5, 2026, 9:12 AM
Reserved
Aug 21, 2024, 6:07 AM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Mar 27, 2025, 5:15 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 6:43 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Mar 27, 2025, 12:00 AM