CVE-2025-38029 — kasan: avoid sleepable page allocation from atomic context
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kasan: avoid sleepable page allocation from atomic context apply_to_pte_range() enters the lazy MMU mode and then invokes kasan_populate_vmalloc_pte() callback on each page table walk iteration. However, the callback can go into sleep when trying to allocate a single page, e.g. if an architecutre disables preemption on lazy MMU mode enter. On s390 if make arch_enter_lazy_mmu_mode() -> preempt_enable() and arch_leave_lazy_mmu_mode() -> preempt_disable(), such crash occurs: [ 0.663336] BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/sched/mm.h:321 [ 0.663348] in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 2, name: kthreadd [ 0.663358] preempt_count: 1, expected: 0 [ 0.663366] RCU nest depth: 0, expected: 0 [ 0.663375] no locks held by kthreadd/2. [ 0.663383] Preemption disabled at: [ 0.663386] [<0002f3284cbb4eda>] apply_to_pte_range+0xfa/0x4a0 [ 0.663405] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 2 Comm: kthreadd Not tainted 6.15.0-rc5-gcc-kasan-00043-gd76bb1ebb558-dirty #162 PREEMPT [ 0.663408] Hardware name: IBM 3931 A01 701 (KVM/Linux) [ 0.663409] Call Trace: [ 0.663410] [<0002f3284c385f58>] dump_stack_lvl+0xe8/0x140 [ 0.663413] [<0002f3284c507b9e>] __might_resched+0x66e/0x700 [ 0.663415] [<0002f3284cc4f6c0>] __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x370/0x4b0 [ 0.663419] [<0002f3284ccc73c0>] alloc_pages_mpol+0x1a0/0x4a0 [ 0.663421] [<0002f3284ccc8518>] alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x88/0xc0 [ 0.663424] [<0002f3284ccc8572>] alloc_pages_noprof+0x22/0x120 [ 0.663427] [<0002f3284cc341ac>] get_free_pages_noprof+0x2c/0xc0 [ 0.663429] [<0002f3284cceba70>] kasan_populate_vmalloc_pte+0x50/0x120 [ 0.663433] [<0002f3284cbb4ef8>] apply_to_pte_range+0x118/0x4a0 [ 0.663435] [<0002f3284cbc7c14>] apply_to_pmd_range+0x194/0x3e0 [ 0.663437] [<0002f3284cbc99be>] __apply_to_page_range+0x2fe/0x7a0 [ 0.663440] [<0002f3284cbc9e88>] apply_to_page_range+0x28/0x40 [ 0.663442] [<0002f3284ccebf12>] kasan_populate_vmalloc+0x82/0xa0 [ 0.663445] [<0002f3284cc1578c>] alloc_vmap_area+0x34c/0xc10 [ 0.663448] [<0002f3284cc1c2a6>] __get_vm_area_node+0x186/0x2a0 [ 0.663451] [<0002f3284cc1e696>] __vmalloc_node_range_noprof+0x116/0x310 [ 0.663454] [<0002f3284cc1d950>] __vmalloc_node_noprof+0xd0/0x110 [ 0.663457] [<0002f3284c454b88>] alloc_thread_stack_node+0xf8/0x330 [ 0.663460] [<0002f3284c458d56>] dup_task_struct+0x66/0x4d0 [ 0.663463] [<0002f3284c45be90>] copy_process+0x280/0x4b90 [ 0.663465] [<0002f3284c460940>] kernel_clone+0xd0/0x4b0 [ 0.663467] [<0002f3284c46115e>] kernel_thread+0xbe/0xe0 [ 0.663469] [<0002f3284c4e440e>] kthreadd+0x50e/0x7f0 [ 0.663472] [<0002f3284c38c04a>] __ret_from_fork+0x8a/0xf0 [ 0.663475] [<0002f3284ed57ff2>] ret_from_fork+0xa/0x38 Instead of allocating single pages per-PTE, bulk-allocate the shadow memory prior to applying kasan_populate_vmalloc_pte() callback on a page range.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 3c5c3cfb9ef4da957e3357a2bd36f76ee34c0862 and < c33a7fe6dda591694cebfe15abf4644abb4f61c0≥ 3c5c3cfb9ef4da957e3357a2bd36f76ee34c0862 and < 468e7d51dba433a72dcd63eee6db9ad721d39ac5≥ 3c5c3cfb9ef4da957e3357a2bd36f76ee34c0862 and < 6748dd09196248b985cca39eaf651d5317271977≥ 3c5c3cfb9ef4da957e3357a2bd36f76ee34c0862 and < b6ea95a34cbd014ab6ade4248107b86b0aaf2d6cversion 5.5 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 5.5 and < 6.14.9version 6.15-rc1version 6.15-rc2version 6.15-rc3version 6.15-rc4version 6.15-rc5version 6.15-rc6version 6.15-rc7 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 20, 2026 → Oct 26, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.24%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 21, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 21, 2026
References
6 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6748dd09196248b985cca39eaf651d5317271977
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6ea95a34cbd014ab6ade4248107b86b0aaf2d6c
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-j5w8-q98j-jcfx
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/468e7d51dba433a72dcd63eee6db9ad721d39ac5
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c33a7fe6dda591694cebfe15abf4644abb4f61c0
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38029
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99092 riscv: patch: fix handling of bpf-jit execmem addresses 18h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99093 mm: don't schedule deferred kernel page table freeing while booting 18h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99095 drm/vc4: drain the hangcheck timer and works on V3D unbind 18h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99096 io_uring/register: don't exempt disabled rings from task restrictions 18h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99097 tee: shm: reject zero-sized allocations in tee_dyn_shm_alloc_helper() 18h
- Unknown CVE-2026-99098 dm-integrity: fix buffer overflow in inline mode with large tag size 18h
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2025-38029 is "kasan: avoid sleepable page allocation from atomic context", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.24% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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