powerpc/64s/slb: Fix SLB multihit issue during SLB preload
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: 3 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: powerpc/64s/slb: Fix SLB multihit issue during SLB preload On systems using the hash MMU, there is a software SLB preload cache that mirrors the entries loaded into the hardware SLB buffer. This preload cache is subject to periodic eviction — typically after every 256 context switches — to remove old entry. To optimize performance, the kernel skips switch_mmu_context() in switch_mm_irqs_off() when the prev and next mm_struct are the same. However, on hash MMU systems, this can lead to inconsistencies between the hardware SLB and the software preload cache. If an SLB entry for a process is evicted from the software cache on one CPU, and the same process later runs on another CPU without executing switch_mmu_context(), the hardware SLB may retain stale entries. If the kernel then attempts to reload that entry, it can trigger an SLB multi-hit error. The following timeline shows how stale SLB entries are created and can cause a multi-hit error when a process moves between CPUs without a MMU context switch. CPU 0 CPU 1 ----- ----- Process P exec swapper/1 load_elf_binary begin_new_exc activate_mm switch_mm_irqs_off switch_mmu_context switch_slb /* * This invalidates all * the entries in the HW * and setup the new HW * SLB entries as per the * preload cache. */ context_switch sched_migrate_task migrates process P to cpu-1 Process swapper/0 context switch (to process P) (uses mm_struct of Process P) switch_mm_irqs_off() switch_slb load_slb++ /* * load_slb becomes 0 here * and we evict an entry from * the preload cache with * preload_age(). We still * keep HW SLB and preload * cache in sync, that is * because all HW SLB entries * anyways gets evicted in * switch_slb during SLBIA. * We then only add those * entries back in HW SLB, * which are currently * present in preload_cache * (after eviction). */ load_elf_binary continues... setup_new_exec() slb_setup_new_exec() sched_switch event sched_migrate_task migrates process P to cpu-0 context_switch from swapper/0 to Process P switch_mm_irqs_off() /* * Since both prev and next mm struct are same we don't call * switch_mmu_context(). This will cause the HW SLB and SW preload * cache to go out of sync in preload_new_slb_context. Because there * was an SLB entry which was evicted from both HW and preload cache * on cpu-1. Now later in preload_new_slb_context(), when we will try * to add the same preload entry again, we will add this to the SW * preload cache and then will add it to the HW SLB. Since on cpu-0 * this entry was never invalidated, hence adding this entry to the HW * SLB will cause a SLB multi-hit error. */ load_elf_binary cont ---truncated---
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 | 4.20 and later | 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.64, 6.18.4, 6.19 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.20 and later Fixed in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.64, 6.18.4, 6.19 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 10
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.20.1 to before 5.10.248; 5.11 to before 5.15.198; 5.16 to before 6.1.160; 6.2 to before 6.6.120; 6.7 to before 6.12.64; 6.13 to before 6.18.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.20:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.20 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 rc8 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.20.1 to before 5.10.248; 5.11 to before 5.15.198; 5.16 to before 6.1.160; 6.2 to before 6.6.120; 6.7 to before 6.12.64; 6.13 to before 6.18.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:4.20:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.20 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc8 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.248, 5.15.198, 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.64, 6.18.4, 6.19
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-71078
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mh76-3pc6-49g3
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-19 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01324c0328181b94cf390bda22ff91c75126ea57
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e9a95d60f1df7b57618fd5ef057aef331575bd2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9f865022a1823d814032a09906e91e4701a35fc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b13a3dbfa196af68eae2031f209743735ad416bf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/895123c309a34d2cfccf7812b41e17261a3a6f37
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ae1e46d8a290319f33f71a2710a1382ba5431e8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00312419f0863964625d6dcda8183f96849412c6
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Sources
- CVE-2025-71078 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-71078 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mh76-3pc6-49g3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-71078 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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