CVE-2026-64252 — MIPS: DEC: Prevent initial console buffer from landing in XKPHYS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: MIPS: DEC: Prevent initial console buffer from landing in XKPHYS In 64-bit configurations calling the initial console output handler from a kernel thread other than the initial one will result in a situation where the stack has been placed in the XKPHYS 64-bit memory segment and consequently so has been the buffer allocated there that is used as the argument corresponding to the `%s' output conversion specifier for the firmware's printf() entry point. This 64-bit address will then be truncated by 32-bit firmware, resulting in an attempt to access the wrong memory location, which in turn will cause all kinds of unpredictable behaviour, such as a kernel crash: Console: colour dummy device 160x64 Calibrating delay loop... 49.36 BogoMIPS (lpj=192512) pid_max: default: 32768 minimum: 301 CPU 0 Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 000000000203bd00, epc == ffffffffbfc08364, ra == ffffffffbfc08800 Oops[#1]: CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper Not tainted 5.18.0-rc2-00254-gfb649bda6f56-dirty #121 $ 0 : 0000000000000000 0000000000000001 0000000000000023 ffffffff80684ba0 $ 4 : 000000000203bd00 ffffffffbfc0f3b4 ffffffffffffffff 0000000000000073 $ 8 : 0a303d7469000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000073 ffffffffbfc0f473 $12 : 0000000000000002 0000000000000000 ffffffff80684c1c 0000000000000000 $16 : 0000000000000000 ffffffff80596dc9 0000000000000000 ffffffffbfc09240 $20 : ffffffff80684c40 ffffffffbfc0f400 000000000000002d 000000000000002b $24 : ffffffffffffffbf 000000000203bd00 $28 : ffffffff805f0000 ffffffff80684b58 0000000000000030 ffffffffbfc08800 Hi : 0000000000000000 Lo : 0000000000000aa8 epc : ffffffffbfc08364 0xffffffffbfc08364 ra : ffffffffbfc08800 0xffffffffbfc08800 Status: 140120e2 KX SX UX KERNEL EXL Cause : 00000008 (ExcCode 02) BadVA : 000000000203bd00 PrId : 00000430 (R4000SC) Modules linked in: Process swapper (pid: 0, threadinfo=(____ptrval____), task=(____ptrval____), tls=0000000000000000) Stack : 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000004d0000004d 80684cc0806a2a40 80596dc80000004d 8061000000000000 bfc0850c80684c38 0000000000000000 000000000203bd00 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 00000000bfc0f3b4 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 0000002500000000 0000000000000000 0000000000000000 802c1a7400000000 0203bd0080596dc8 0203bd4d69000000 6c61632000000018 5f746567646e6172 6c616320625f6d6f 5f736e5f6d6f7266 206361323778302b 303d74696e726320 806a0a38806b0000 806a0a38806b0000 00000000806b0000 80683c58806b0000 ... Call Trace: Code: a082ffff 03e00008 00601021 <80820000> 00001821 10400005 24840001 80820000 24630001 ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt KN04 V2.1k (PC: 0xa0026768, SP: 0x806848e8) >> In this case the pointer in $4 was truncated from 0x980000000203bd00 to 0x000000000203bd00. This may happen when no final console driver has been enabled in the configuration and consequently the initial console continues being used late into bootstrap or with an upcoming change that will switch the zs driver to use a platform device, which in turn will make the console handover happen only after other kernel threads have already been started. Fix the issue by making the buffer static and initdata, and therefore placed in the CKSEG0 32-bit compatibility segment, observing that the console output handler is called with the console lock held, implying no need for this code to be reentrant. Add an assertion to verify the buffer actually has been placed in a compatibility segment.
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)+1
- 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)
- 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)
- 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 |
version 2.6.12≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 7fb13fd35110ebe95eb053faf79d018f51144d85≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 07c245bc39f94481fd75ff1ed54f7ab97111f3dd≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 6e61fc2e06e44b6d30248cc5bc47a58e75c2b43e≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 35212f2adc2cf15122b96b987519de235b855e46≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < ab465495b1ed5efb7d2f9b90d8b20b1e0473e26f≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 8a15826e5d3bdcfbef2f8e9330c69ea9ee7282e7≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 1c80327dedf05b8c8ca025b76c21235b19dd3a86 and 1 more≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 and < 9e22b6fc6532cd566dad6d89d8fb3885248e364a |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 2.6.12-rc4version 2.6.12-rc5≥ 2.6.12.1 and < 5.10.260version 2.6.12-rc3version 2.6.12-rc2version 2.6.12≥ 6.19 and < 7.1.3≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.38 and 4 more≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.95≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.144≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.177≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.211 |
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) 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 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
8 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/07c245bc39f94481fd75ff1ed54f7ab97111f3dd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e61fc2e06e44b6d30248cc5bc47a58e75c2b43e
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e22b6fc6532cd566dad6d89d8fb3885248e364a
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a15826e5d3bdcfbef2f8e9330c69ea9ee7282e7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7fb13fd35110ebe95eb053faf79d018f51144d85
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/35212f2adc2cf15122b96b987519de235b855e46
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab465495b1ed5efb7d2f9b90d8b20b1e0473e26f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c80327dedf05b8c8ca025b76c21235b19dd3a86
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 2d
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-2026-64252 is "MIPS: DEC: Prevent initial console buffer from landing in XKPHYS", 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 0.16% 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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