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CVE-2026-72212 (GCVE-0-2026-72212)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-15 05:54 – Updated: 2026-08-17 05:10
VLAI
Title
mm/memory_hotplug: fix incorrect altmap passing in error path
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/memory_hotplug: fix incorrect altmap passing in error path In create_altmaps_and_memory_blocks(), when arch_add_memory() succeeds with memmap_on_memory enabled, the vmemmap pages are allocated from params.altmap. If create_memory_block_devices() subsequently fails, the error path calls arch_remove_memory() with a NULL altmap instead of params.altmap. This is a bug that could lead to memory corruption. Since altmap is NULL, vmemmap_free() falls back to freeing the vmemmap pages into the system buddy allocator via free_pages() instead of the altmap. arch_remove_memory() then immediately destroys the physical linear mapping for this memory. This injects unowned pages into the buddy allocator, causing machine checks or memory corruption if the system later attempts to allocate and use those freed pages. Fix this by passing params.altmap to arch_remove_memory() in the error path.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f , < 3833e6abdbbfb59ec8203a84a84206cb7ffb41ac (git)
Affected: 6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f , < 722e6c54bde6391fb95f0357f555aca887c7b18c (git)
Affected: 6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f , < 2f9e3ec17c3d2093c664c00a027588a446c39894 (git)
Affected: 6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f , < 2fac4afa0e2e68841334c78c1821e49f74fbc66a (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 6.8
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.8 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.97 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.40 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1.5 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nmm/memory_hotplug: fix incorrect altmap passing in error path\n\nIn create_altmaps_and_memory_blocks(), when arch_add_memory() succeeds\nwith memmap_on_memory enabled, the vmemmap pages are allocated from\nparams.altmap.  If create_memory_block_devices() subsequently fails, the\nerror path calls arch_remove_memory() with a NULL altmap instead of\nparams.altmap.\n\nThis is a bug that could lead to memory corruption.  Since altmap is NULL,\nvmemmap_free() falls back to freeing the vmemmap pages into the system\nbuddy allocator via free_pages() instead of the altmap. \narch_remove_memory() then immediately destroys the physical linear mapping\nfor this memory.  This injects unowned pages into the buddy allocator,\ncausing machine checks or memory corruption if the system later attempts\nto allocate and use those freed pages.\n\nFix this by passing params.altmap to arch_remove_memory() in the error\npath."
        }
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        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3833e6abdbbfb59ec8203a84a84206cb7ffb41ac"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/722e6c54bde6391fb95f0357f555aca887c7b18c"
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        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2fac4afa0e2e68841334c78c1821e49f74fbc66a"
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    "cveId": "CVE-2026-72212",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-15T05:54:07.077Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-09T03:40:39.912Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:10:26.630Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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    "redhat_vex": {
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      "current_release_date": "2026-08-18T16:29:08+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-72212",
      "id": "CVE-2026-72212",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_affected": "14",
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      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: mm/memory_hotplug: fix incorrect altmap passing in error path",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-72212.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



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  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
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