s390: Disable ARCH_WANT_OPTIMIZE_HUGETLB_VMEMMAP
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390: Disable ARCH_WANT_OPTIMIZE_HUGETLB_VMEMMAP As reported by Luiz Capitulino enabling HVO on s390 leads to reproducible crashes. The problem is that kernel page tables are modified without flushing corresponding TLB entries. Even if it looks like the empty flush_tlb_all() implementation on s390 is the problem, it is actually a different problem: on s390 it is not allowed to replace an active/valid page table entry with another valid page table entry without the detour over an invalid entry. A direct replacement may lead to random crashes and/or data corruption. In order to invalidate an entry special instructions have to be used (e.g. ipte or idte). Alternatively there are also special instructions available which allow to replace a valid entry with a different valid entry (e.g. crdte or cspg). Given that the HVO code currently does not provide the hooks to allow for an implementation which is compliant with the s390 architecture requirements, disable ARCH_WANT_OPTIMIZE_HUGETLB_VMEMMAP again, which is basically a revert of the original patch which enabled it.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6.117, 6.12.58, 6.17.8, 6.18
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2025:6966 Released 2025-05-13 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, libperf-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6 +11
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 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:6966 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:6966 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:6966 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:6966 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:6966 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-68179
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2v94-v9cc-qp7h
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2025-68179 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-68179 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2v94-v9cc-qp7h · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-68179 · 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