CVE-2026-97525
HighCVSS 8.2Summary
In the Linux kernel, the x86/mm/pat code allocated a page table directly when splitting a large page (__split_large_page()), bypassing the standard page table allocation API. As a result, the page table was never marked as a kernel page table (ptdesc_set_kernel() was not called), so freeing such page tables did not invalidate their IOTLB entries. This can leave stale IOTLB entries for kernel page tables.
Risk Assessment
Stale IOTLB entries for freed kernel page tables may cause access to outdated memory mappings, leading to kernel errors, data corruption, or potential memory isolation violations. The issue affects x86 systems with PAT and IOMMU/SVA enabled.
Recommendation
Update the Linux kernel to a version containing the fix that uses the standard PTE allocation API when splitting large pages and correctly marks page tables as kernel page tables. A system reboot is recommended after the update.
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Original NVD description (English source)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/mm/pat: Allocate split page tables as kernel page tables A PTE is allocated directly without going through the standard page table allocation routines (such as pte_alloc_one_kernel()) when the CPA code splits a large page (__split_large_page()). This means the page table constructor is never called nor is the page table marked as a kernel page table. The former results in the folio associated with the page table not being marked as a page table (__pagetable_ctor() is never called thus neither is __folio_set_pgtable()) nor are statistics updated to reflect it (lruvec_stat_add_folio() is never called). The latter issue of failing to mark the page table as a kernel page table (ptdesc_set_kernel() is never called) is far more problematic. Since commit: 5ba2f0a15564 ("mm: introduce deferred freeing for kernel page tables") kernel page table freeing has been batched and since the subsequent commit: e37d5a2d60a3 ("iommu/sva: invalidate stale IOTLB entries for kernel address space") IOTLB cache entries for kernel page tables have been invalidated upon being freed. Since split page tables are freed without this invalidation, the IOTLB can contain stale entries for them. Resolve the issue by using the ordinary PTE allocation API at split time. This results in these kernel page tables invoking a page table constructor, and thus requires a page table destructor. Destructors are not always present, like for early allocated direct map page tables). Conditionally call pagetable_dtor_free() if the PG_table folio flag for the ptdesc is set, otherwise we free the page table via pagetable_free(). Regardless of which path is taken page tables marked as kernel page tables, which now includes split page tables, take the correct route through pagetable_free_kernel(). There is a user-visible side effect in that split page tables will appear in nr_page_table_pages in /proc/vmstat (as do other kernel page tables allocated after early boot), however this is a positive change. This issue started being markedly problematic after commit: 5ba2f0a15564 ("mm: introduce deferred freeing for kernel page tables") so choose this as the Fixes target. [ dhansen: rephrase in imperative mood ]
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS