Vulnerability · Published Aug 15, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2026-72412s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit

Critical 9.3

In plain English

A critical-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 8% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)9.3Critical
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 92.4% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit The _PAGE_UNUSED softbit should not really be lying around. Its sole purpose is to signal to try_to_unmap_one() and try_to_migrate_one() that the page can be discarded instead of being moved / swapped. KVM has no way to know why a page is being unmapped, so it sets the bit on userspace ptes corresponding to unused guest pages every time they get unmapped. KVM has no reasonable way to clear the bit once the page is in use again. While set_ptes() checks and clears the bit, other paths that set new ptes did not. This led to used pages being thrown out as if they were unused, causing guest corruption. Fix the issue by clearing the _PAGE_UNUSED bit for present ptes in set_pte(), i.e. whenever a present pte is getting set. The check in set_ptes() is then redundant and can be removed. Also fix gmap_helper_try_set_pte_unused() to only set the bit if the pte is present; the _PAGE_UNUSED bit is only defined for present ptes and thus should not be set for non-present ptes.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:14linux7.1.5-1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux7.0.0-34.34UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-aws7.0.0-1013.13UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-7.07.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azure7.0.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-7.07.0.0-1017.17~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde7.0.0-1016.16UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-7.07.0.0-1016.16~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gcp7.0.0-1013.13UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-7.07.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gke7.0.0-1007.8UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-7.07.0.0-34.34~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-ibm7.0.0-1014.14UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-7.07.0.0-1024.25~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-bos7.0.0-2022.23UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oem-7.07.0.0-1014.14UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oracle7.0.0-1012.12UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-7.07.0.0-1012.12~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-raspi7.0.0-1020.20UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-realtime7.0.0-34.34.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-riscv7.0.0-34.34.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-7.07.0.0-34.34.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-72412

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux c98175b7917fa81cd499b1527c4a57fd7d36711e – before fda07c8e4b54b9105f1ca73f0adea7b244d405f4c98175b7917fa81cd499b1527c4a57fd7d36711e – before d4bb00704a66024502261fa7a523c07420249fea
Linux Linux 7.0

References