CVE-2026-89961

powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population

Published Sep 16, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population

vmemmap_populate_compound_pages() uses addr_pfn to determine the PFN
offset within a compound page and to decide whether the current vmemmap
slot should be populated as a head page mapping or should reuse a tail
page mapping.

However, addr_pfn is advanced manually in parallel with addr. The loop
itself progresses in vmemmap address space, so each PAGE_SIZE step in addr
covers PAGE_SIZE / sizeof(struct page) struct page slots. Since addr_pfn
is compared against nr_pages in data-PFN units, it should advance by the
same number of PFNs. The existing manual increments do not match that and
therefore do not reliably track the PFN corresponding to the current addr.

As a result, pfn_offset can be computed from the wrong PFN and the code
can make the head/tail decision for the wrong compound-page position.

Fix this by deriving addr_pfn directly from the current vmemmap address
instead of carrying it as loop state.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4817-1 linux-6.12 security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6528-1 linux security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9002-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-129
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics 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
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population vmemmap_populate_compound_pages() uses addr_pfn to determine the PFN offset within a compound page and to decide whether the current vmemmap slot should be populated as a head page mapping or should reuse a tail page mapping. However, addr_pfn is advanced manually in parallel with addr. The loop itself progresses in vmemmap address space, so each PAGE_SIZE step in addr covers PAGE_SIZE / sizeof(struct page) struct page slots. Since addr_pfn is compared against nr_pages in data-PFN units, it should advance by the same number of PFNs. The existing manual increments do not match that and therefore do not reliably track the PFN corresponding to the current addr. As a result, pfn_offset can be computed from the wrong PFN and the code can make the head/tail decision for the wrong compound-page position. Fix this by deriving addr_pfn directly from the current vmemmap address instead of carrying it as loop state.
Title powerpc/mm: fix wrong addr_pfn tracking in compound vmemmap population
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 19, 2026, 8:55 AM
Reserved
Sep 11, 2026, 7:38 PM
Status
Received
Published
Sep 16, 2026, 11:17 AM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 9:18 AM