mm/vmalloc, mm/kasan: respect gfp mask in kasan_populate_vmalloc()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-667 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/vmalloc, mm/kasan: respect gfp mask in kasan_populate_vmalloc() kasan_populate_vmalloc() and its helpers ignore the caller's gfp_mask and always allocate memory using the hardcoded GFP_KERNEL flag. This makes them inconsistent with vmalloc(), which was recently extended to support GFP_NOFS and GFP_NOIO allocations. Page table allocations performed during shadow population also ignore the external gfp_mask. To preserve the intended semantics of GFP_NOFS and GFP_NOIO, wrap the apply_to_page_range() calls into the appropriate memalloc scope. xfs calls vmalloc with GFP_NOFS, so this bug could lead to deadlock. There was a report here https://lkml.kernel.org/r/[email protected] This patch: - Extends kasan_populate_vmalloc() and helpers to take gfp_mask; - Passes gfp_mask down to alloc_pages_bulk() and __get_free_page(); - Enforces GFP_NOFS/NOIO semantics with memalloc_*_save()/restore() around apply_to_page_range(); - Updates vmalloc.c and percpu allocator call sites accordingly.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.17 and later | 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.16.8, 6.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.17 and later Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.16.8, 6.17 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.17 to before 6.16.8 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.17 to before 6.16.8 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.16.8, 6.17
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-39910
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xqc4-9x8w-pf49
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@9598c83a50a5f9d57fd0c12fc08d9425c1ce9537 +1 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 2 new references · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@c136f2e4f2edd58a62a3425d4dd373d82834d1f9 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
References
Patch 2
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Sources
- CVE-2025-39910 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-39910 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xqc4-9x8w-pf49 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-39910 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences