Linux Kernel up to 6.12.100/6.18.41/7.1.4 HugeTLB fs/proc/task_mmu make_uffd_wp_huge_pte out-of-bounds write

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 8.4 | $0-$5k | 0.00 |
Summary
A vulnerability described as very critical has been identified in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.100/6.18.41/7.1.4. Impacted is the function make_uffd_wp_huge_pte of the file fs/proc/task_mmu of the component HugeTLB. Executing a manipulation can lead to out-of-bounds write.
This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-72175. The attack is restricted to local execution. No exploit exists.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.100/6.18.41/7.1.4. It has been declared as very critical. This vulnerability affects the function make_uffd_wp_huge_pte of the file fs/proc/task_mmu of the component HugeTLB. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a out-of-bounds write vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-787. The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fs/proc/task_mmu: fix make_uffd_wp_huge_pte() prot-update race Patch series "userfaultfd/pagemap: pre-existing fixes". These are pre-existing bug fixes that were carried at the front of the userfaultfd RWP working-set-tracking series up to v5 [1]. Per review feedback that fixes should not sit in the middle of a feature series, they are split out and sent on their own; the RWP series is reposted rebased on top of this. All six were flagged by the Sashiko AI review of the RWP series and carry independent of RWP, apply to mm-new directly, and carry Cc: stable@. 1: fs/proc/task_mmu: a missing huge_ptep_modify_prot_start() in make_uffd_wp_huge_pte() can lose hardware Dirty/Accessed updates when PAGEMAP_SCAN write-protects a hugetlb PTE. 2: fs/proc/task_mmu: pagemap_scan_hugetlb_entry() compares the range against HPAGE_SIZE rather than the hstate page size, so it never write-protects gigantic hugetlb pages. 3: fs/proc/task_mmu: PAGEMAP_SCAN with PM_SCAN_WP_MATCHING over an unpopulated hugetlb range self-deadlocks -- pagemap_scan_pte_hole() calls uffd_wp_range() while walk_hugetlb_range() holds the hugetlb vma lock for read, and hugetlb_change_protection() then takes it for write. Install the marker inline instead. 4: mm/huge_memory: change_non_present_huge_pmd() drops pmd_swp_uffd_wp on a device-private PMD permission downgrade, silently losing the uffd-wp marker. 5: userfaultfd: must_wait() applies pte_write() to a locklessly read PTE without checking pte_present(), so swap/migration entries decode random offset bits and a thread can stay parked on a stale fault. 6: userfaultfd: __VMA_UFFD_FLAGS feeds VMA_UFFD_MINOR_BIT (41) to mk_vma_flags() unconditionally, an out-of-bounds write into the single-word vma_flags_t on 32-bit. Build the mask from config-gated per-mode masks so an unavailable bit is never materialised. This patch (of 6): make_uffd_wp_huge_pte() arms the UFFD_WP bit on a present HugeTLB PTE by calling huge_ptep_modify_prot_commit() with a ptent snapshot that was fetched without the corresponding huge_ptep_modify_prot_start(). The start helper is what atomically clears the entry so the kernel-owned snapshot stays consistent until the commit; without it, the hardware may set Dirty or Accessed in the live PTE between the original read and the commit, and huge_ptep_modify_prot_commit() (whose generic implementation just calls set_huge_pte_at()) then writes the stale snapshot back over the live hardware bits, losing the update. The non-hugetlb sibling make_uffd_wp_pte() does this correctly via ptep_modify_prot_start() / ptep_modify_prot_commit(). Mirror that pattern for the present-PTE branch. The migration case stays as-is -- migration entries are non-present, so there's no hardware update to race against.
The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2026-72175 since 08/09/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack needs to be approached locally. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 08/15/2026).
Upgrading to version 6.12.101, 6.18.42, 7.1.5 or 7.2-rc1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 50a25249a6355db74c2c1b6be541b4caab9f3655/8e39ed92d7c5c6bfc08dc45153916f49a4e98bab/6b7f774b8882445d9174681747d37c42548686a4/04718f7c9290f95385f0dd328758753dc1c36dec is able to eliminate this problem.
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Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
- 6.0
- 6.1
- 6.2
- 6.3
- 6.4
- 6.5
- 6.6
- 6.7
- 6.8
- 6.9
- 6.10
- 6.11
- 6.12.100
- 6.18.0
- 6.18.1
- 6.18.2
- 6.18.3
- 6.18.4
- 6.18.5
- 6.18.6
- 6.18.7
- 6.18.8
- 6.18.9
- 6.18.10
- 6.18.11
- 6.18.12
- 6.18.13
- 6.18.14
- 6.18.15
- 6.18.16
- 6.18.17
- 6.18.18
- 6.18.19
- 6.18.20
- 6.18.21
- 6.18.22
- 6.18.23
- 6.18.24
- 6.18.25
- 6.18.26
- 6.18.27
- 6.18.28
- 6.18.29
- 6.18.30
- 6.18.31
- 6.18.32
- 6.18.33
- 6.18.34
- 6.18.35
- 6.18.36
- 6.18.37
- 6.18.38
- 6.18.39
- 6.18.40
- 6.18.41
- 7.1.0
- 7.1.1
- 7.1.2
- 7.1.3
- 7.1.4
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔒VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 8.8VulDB Meta Temp Score: 8.4
VulDB Base Score: 8.8
VulDB Temp Score: 8.4
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv2
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| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Out-of-bounds writeCWE: CWE-787 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒
Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: No
Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔒
Upgrade: Kernel 6.12.101/6.18.42/7.1.5/7.2-rc1
Patch: 50a25249a6355db74c2c1b6be541b4caab9f3655/8e39ed92d7c5c6bfc08dc45153916f49a4e98bab/6b7f774b8882445d9174681747d37c42548686a4/04718f7c9290f95385f0dd328758753dc1c36dec
Timeline
08/09/2026 CVE reserved08/15/2026 Advisory disclosed
08/15/2026 VulDB entry created
08/15/2026 VulDB entry last update
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2026-72175 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-72175
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-390472
Entry
Created: 08/15/2026 11:41Changes: 08/15/2026 11:41 (60)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
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