CVE-2026-43404 — mm: Fix a hmm_range_fault() livelock / starvation problem
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: Fix a hmm_range_fault() livelock / starvation problem If hmm_range_fault() fails a folio_trylock() in do_swap_page, trying to acquire the lock of a device-private folio for migration, to ram, the function will spin until it succeeds grabbing the lock. However, if the process holding the lock is depending on a work item to be completed, which is scheduled on the same CPU as the spinning hmm_range_fault(), that work item might be starved and we end up in a livelock / starvation situation which is never resolved. This can happen, for example if the process holding the device-private folio lock is stuck in migrate_device_unmap()->lru_add_drain_all() sinc lru_add_drain_all() requires a short work-item to be run on all online cpus to complete. A prerequisite for this to happen is: a) Both zone device and system memory folios are considered in migrate_device_unmap(), so that there is a reason to call lru_add_drain_all() for a system memory folio while a folio lock is held on a zone device folio. b) The zone device folio has an initial mapcount > 1 which causes at least one migration PTE entry insertion to be deferred to try_to_migrate(), which can happen after the call to lru_add_drain_all(). c) No or voluntary only preemption. This all seems pretty unlikely to happen, but indeed is hit by the "xe_exec_system_allocator" igt test. Resolve this by waiting for the folio to be unlocked if the folio_trylock() fails in do_swap_page(). Rename migration_entry_wait_on_locked() to softleaf_entry_wait_unlock() and update its documentation to indicate the new use-case. Future code improvements might consider moving the lru_add_drain_all() call in migrate_device_unmap() to be called *after* all pages have migration entries inserted. That would eliminate also b) above. v2: - Instead of a cond_resched() in hmm_range_fault(), eliminate the problem by waiting for the folio to be unlocked in do_swap_page() (Alistair Popple, Andrew Morton) v3: - Add a stub migration_entry_wait_on_locked() for the !CONFIG_MIGRATION case. (Kernel Test Robot) v4: - Rename migrate_entry_wait_on_locked() to softleaf_entry_wait_on_locked() and update docs (Alistair Popple) v5: - Add a WARN_ON_ONCE() for the !CONFIG_MIGRATION version of softleaf_entry_wait_on_locked(). - Modify wording around function names in the commit message (Andrew Morton) (cherry picked from commit a69d1ab971a624c6f112cea61536569d579c3215)
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 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+0
- 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)
- 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 | ≥ 1afaeb8293c9addbf4f9140bdd22635fed763459 and < 94b6d0ba4b640ba23bb6c708a59316e74e5ede63≥ 1afaeb8293c9addbf4f9140bdd22635fed763459 and < 7e6e2fc91d4b9b12ec6e137019532568ebcf2680≥ 1afaeb8293c9addbf4f9140bdd22635fed763459 and < b570f37a2ce480be26c665345c5514686a8a0274version 6.15 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 6.15 and < 6.18.19≥ 6.19 and < 6.19.9version 7.0-rc1version 7.0-rc2 | 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 |
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) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.12%
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
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
3 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
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- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 12h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
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 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-2026-43404 is "mm: Fix a hmm_range_fault() livelock / starvation problem", 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 0.12% 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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