In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
mm/hugetlb: fix kernel NULL pointer dereference when replacing free hugetlb folios
A kernel crash was observed when replacing free hugetlb folios:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000028
PGD 0 P4D 0
Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
CPU: 28 UID: 0 PID: 29639 Comm: test_cma.sh Tainted 6.15.0-rc6-zp #41 PREEMPT(voluntary)
RIP: 0010:alloc_and_dissolve_hugetlb_folio+0x1d/0x1f0
RSP: 0018:ffffc9000b30fa90 EFLAGS: 00010286
RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000342cca RCX: ffffea0043000000
RDX: ffffc9000b30fb08 RSI: ffffea0043000000 RDI: 0000000000000000
RBP: ffffc9000b30fb20 R08: 0000000000001000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: ffff88886f92eb00 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffffea0043000000
R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 00000000010c0200 R15: 0000000000000004
FS: 00007fcda5f14740(0000) GS:ffff8888ec1d8000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 0000000000000028 CR3: 0000000391402000 CR4: 0000000000350ef0
Call Trace:
replace_free_hugepage_folios+0xb6/0x100
alloc_contig_range_noprof+0x18a/0x590
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
? down_read+0x12/0xa0
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
cma_range_alloc.constprop.0+0x131/0x290
__cma_alloc+0xcf/0x2c0
cma_alloc_write+0x43/0xb0
simple_attr_write_xsigned.constprop.0.isra.0+0xb2/0x110
debugfs_attr_write+0x46/0x70
full_proxy_write+0x62/0xa0
vfs_write+0xf8/0x420
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
? filp_flush+0x86/0xa0
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
? filp_close+0x1f/0x30
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
? do_dup2+0xaf/0x160
? srso_return_thunk+0x5/0x5f
ksys_write+0x65/0xe0
do_syscall_64+0x64/0x170
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
There is a potential race between __update_and_free_hugetlb_folio() and
replace_free_hugepage_folios():
CPU1 CPU2
__update_and_free_hugetlb_folio replace_free_hugepage_folios
folio_test_hugetlb(folio)
-- It's still hugetlb folio.
__folio_clear_hugetlb(folio)
hugetlb_free_folio(folio)
h = folio_hstate(folio)
-- Here, h is NULL pointer
When the above race condition occurs, folio_hstate(folio) returns NULL,
and subsequent access to this NULL pointer will cause the system to crash.
To resolve this issue, execute folio_hstate(folio) under the protection
of the hugetlb_lock lock, ensuring that folio_hstate(folio) does not
return NULL.
What the EG score is made of (scorer v4.0: the three questions the 0–10 score mixes, published apart · methodology)
The EG score (5.5): severity, escalated by confirmed exploitation. This CVE's 5.5 is its impact severity (EG Severity), not escalated.
- EG Severity
- 5.5 MEDIUMCVSS-B, impact only: no KEV listing, EPSS or EG-KEV tier raises it.GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
- EG Likelihood
- 0.2% within 30 daysSource: FIRST EPSS (model v2026.06.15, score date 2026-10-24). FIRST's exploitation probability, not an EchelonGraph model.
- Confirmed exploitation
- None on record (CISA KEV, EG-KEV Tier 1)Reported apart from the likelihood: an observed fact, not a probability.
- EG Priority
- SSVC Track at medium mission impactTrack at low or medium mission impact; Track* at high (mission-essential systems).CISA BOD 26-04: 14 days if the affected system is publicly exposed; Fix on system upgrade if it is not.Each input and its source, and whom BOD 26-04 binds: the SSVC and BOD 26-04 blocks below.
SSVC (CISA's decision table, applied by EchelonGraph)Track at low or medium mission impact; Track* at high (mission-essential systems).
A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines.
Exploitation none (no CISA value, KEV listing or exploit code on record) · Automatable no (CISA's BOD 26-04 default) · Technical impact total (CISA's BOD 26-04 default). EchelonGraph holds no SSVC assessment of this CVE from CISA: none of these inputs is from Vulnrichment. EchelonGraph applied CISA's decision table to them; CISA publishes SSVC inputs and the table, not a decision for each CVE. Mission impact is CISA's Mission & Well-being decision point, and only you can judge it. CISA's table makes it high when Mission Prevalence is Essential — the vulnerable component "directly provides capabilities that constitute at least one MEF for at least one entity" (MEF: mission essential function) — or when Public Well-Being Impact is Irreversible: "multiple fatalities are likely", the cyber-physical system "is likely lost or destroyed", "extreme or serious externalities" are imposed on other parties, or social systems such as elections or the financial grid "are destabilized and potentially collapse". CISA's decision table
BOD 26-04 (CISA's remediation timeline, Table 1)14 days if the affected system is publicly exposed; Fix on system upgrade if it is not.
The score's inputs: In CISA KEV no (CISA's KEV catalog) · Automatable no (CISA's BOD 26-04 default) · Technical impact total (CISA's BOD 26-04 default). Where an input reads “CISA's BOD 26-04 default”, no one has published it for this CVE, and CISA's implementation guidance says: “If “Automatable” and “Technical Impact” information items about a CVE ID are not available and the CVE ID is not in the KEV Catalog, CISA will treat its values as “no” and “total,” respectively, until CISA or a third party provides metadata about the CVE ID. CISA will always provide the Vulnrichment data for a CVE ID listed in the KEV Catalog.” Whether your system is publicly exposed is yours to answer. BOD 26-04 binds US Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies; for anyone else it is CISA's published timeline, a reference rather than an obligation. The directive · how EchelonGraph applies it