CVE-2026-68172: arm64: make huge_ptep_get handled unaligned addresses

Published Aug 10, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

arm64: make hugeptepget handled unaligned addresses

hugeptepget() can be handed a virtual address pointing to the middle of a contpmd/contpte mapped hugetlb folio (examples of callers are pagemaphugetlbrange, pagemappedinvma).

The arm64 helper rewalks the pgtables in findnumcontig to answer whether the huge pte we have maps a contpmd or a contpte hugetlb folio, and returns CONTPMDS or CONTPTES, so that it can collect a/d bits over the contiguous ptes. We can falsely return CONTPTES instead of CONTPMDS if the addr is not aligned. On systems where CONTPTES != CONTPMDS (meaning page size is 16K), we could collect excess A/D bit state, meaning extra work for the kernel. Even worse, we may iterate beyond the PTE table and dereference a garbage ptep pointer to access physical memory we don't own. Since the ptep pointer is a linear map address, we may run off the end of the linear map or into a hole, dereference a VA not mapped into the kernel pgtables and cause kernel panic.

Fix this by aligning the pmdp pointer down to a contpmd base before checking equality with the passed huge pte pointer, to correctly answer whether the huge pte is the base of a contpmd block.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Linux kernel

Event History

Aug 10, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·11:59 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·11:59 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·01:20 PM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-68172?

CVE-2026-68172 has a risk rating of 52 indicating a moderate level of severity.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-68172?

To fix CVE-2026-68172, it is recommended to update to the latest version of the Linux kernel where the vulnerability has been resolved.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-68172?

CVE-2026-68172 affects systems running certain versions of the Linux kernel that utilize hugetlb folios.

4

What does CVE-2026-68172 involve?

CVE-2026-68172 involves improper handling of unaligned addresses in the huge_ptep_get() function in the Linux kernel.

5

When was CVE-2026-68172 published?

CVE-2026-68172 was published on August 10, 2026.

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