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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2026-23161: mm/shmem, swap: fix race of truncate and swap entry split

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.10% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 8a1968bd997f45a9b11aefeabdd1232e1b6c7184, a99f9a4669a04662c8f9efe0e62cafc598153139, b23bee8cdb7aabce5701a7f57414db5a354ae8ed.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.3, NVD 4.7.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 8a1968bd997f45a9b11aefeabdd1232e1b6c7184, a99f9a4669a04662c8f9efe0e62cafc598153139, b23bee8cdb7aabce5701a7f57414db5a354ae8ed or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/shmem, swap: fix race of truncate and swap entry split The helper for shmem swap freeing is not handling the order of swap entries correctly. It uses xa_cmpxchg_irq to erase the swap entry, but it gets the entry order before that using xa_get_order without lock protection, and it may get an outdated order value if the entry is split or changed in other ways after the xa_get_order and before the xa_cmpxchg_irq. And besides, the order could grow and be larger than expected, and cause truncation to erase data beyond the end border. For example, if the target entry and following entries are swapped in or freed, then a large folio was added in place and swapped out, using the same entry, the xa_cmpxchg_irq will still succeed, it's very unlikely to happen though. To fix that, open code the Xarray cmpxchg and put the order retrieval and value checking in the same critical section. Also, ensure the order won't exceed the end border, skip it if the entry goes across the border. Skipping large swap entries crosses the end border is safe here. Shmem truncate iterates the range twice, in the first iteration, find_lock_entries already filtered such entries, and shmem will swapin the entries that cross the end border and partially truncate the folio (split the folio or at least zero part of it). So in the second loop here, if we see a swap entry that crosses the end order, it must at least have its content erased already. I observed random swapoff hangs and kernel panics when stress testing ZSWAP with shmem. After applying this patch, all problems are gone.

MediumCVSS 4.7 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Feb 14, 2026
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 0th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

18

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
18 / 40 · 4.7 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
4.7
CNA · Linux
7.3
2.6 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel6.12 and later · before 6.12.69
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.18.9
  • linux linux kernel6.19

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 6.12affected
    • 809bc86517cc408b5b8cb8e08e69096639432bc8 and later · before a99f9a4669a04662c8f9efe0e62cafc598153139affected · git
    • 809bc86517cc408b5b8cb8e08e69096639432bc8 and later · before b23bee8cdb7aabce5701a7f57414db5a354ae8edaffected · git
    • 809bc86517cc408b5b8cb8e08e69096639432bc8 and later · before 8a1968bd997f45a9b11aefeabdd1232e1b6c7184affected · git
    • before 6.12not affected · semver
    • 6.12.69 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
    • 6.18.9 and later · up to and including 6.18.*not affected · semver
    • 6.19 and laternot affected · original_commit_for_fix

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.69-16.12.69-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 6.18.9-16.18.9-1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_0before 17-160000.4.317-160000.4.3
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_1before 15-160000.1.115-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_2before 13-160000.1.113-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_3before 12-160000.1.112-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_4before 11-160000.1.111-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_5before 10-160000.1.110-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_0before 15-160000.3.415-160000.3.4
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_1before 14-160000.1.114-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_2before 12-160000.1.112-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_3before 11-160000.1.111-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_4before 11-160000.1.111-160000.1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_5before 10-160000.1.110-160000.1.1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-23159Feb 14, 2026 · perf: sched: Fix perf crash with new is_user_task() helper
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-23160Feb 14, 2026 · octeon_ep: Fix memory leak in octep_device_setup()
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-23162Feb 14, 2026 · drm/xe/nvm: Fix double-free on aux add failure
    31Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux8a1968bd997f45a9b11aefeabdd1232e1b6c7184Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxa99f9a4669a04662c8f9efe0e62cafc598153139Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxb23bee8cdb7aabce5701a7f57414db5a354ae8edVendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.12.69-1 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_017-160000.4.3 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_115-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_213-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_312-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_411-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16_Update_510-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_015-160000.3.4 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_114-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_212-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_311-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_411-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:kernel-livepatch-SLE16-RT_Update_510-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-362 · Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (2 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records