High

CVE-2026-97525 — x86/mm/pat: Allocate split page tables as kernel page tables

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/mm/pat: Allocate split page tables as kernel page tables A PTE is allocated directly without going through the standard page table allocation routines (such as pte_alloc_one_kernel()) when the CPA code splits a large page (__split_large_page()). This means the page table constructor is never called nor is the page table marked as a kernel page table. The former results in the folio associated with the page table not being marked as a page table (__pagetable_ctor() is never called thus neither is __folio_set_pgtable()) nor are statistics updated to reflect it (lruvec_stat_add_folio() is never called). The latter issue of failing to mark the page table as a kernel page table (ptdesc_set_kernel() is never called) is far more problematic. Since commit: 5ba2f0a15564 ("mm: introduce deferred freeing for kernel page tables") kernel page table freeing has been batched and since the subsequent commit: e37d5a2d60a3 ("iommu/sva: invalidate stale IOTLB entries for kernel address space") IOTLB cache entries for kernel page tables have been invalidated upon being freed. Since split page tables are freed without this invalidation, the IOTLB can contain stale entries for them. Resolve the issue by using the ordinary PTE allocation API at split time. This results in these kernel page tables invoking a page table constructor, and thus requires a page table destructor. Destructors are not always present, like for early allocated direct map page tables). Conditionally call pagetable_dtor_free() if the PG_table folio flag for the ptdesc is set, otherwise we free the page table via pagetable_free(). Regardless of which path is taken page tables marked as kernel page tables, which now includes split page tables, take the correct route through pagetable_free_kernel(). There is a user-visible side effect in that split page tables will appear in nr_page_table_pages in /proc/vmstat (as do other kernel page tables allocated after early boot), however this is a positive change. This issue started being markedly problematic after commit: 5ba2f0a15564 ("mm: introduce deferred freeing for kernel page tables") so choose this as the Fixes target. [ dhansen: rephrase in imperative mood ]

Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
Technical severity (high)+6

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.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.17%

ahead of 6% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

8.2

High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

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).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
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	≥ b3039c526f3e1744db0cbb7ae1f0213f5e27d3f4 and < 84e0cd79d57f06b872154eb5d8f610584133f260≥ 5ba2f0a1556479638ac11a3c201421f5515e89f5 and < 922873cf4fc34124215070a8ad391bf831538bb9≥ 5ba2f0a1556479638ac11a3c201421f5515e89f5 and < 9e4a3ec3411bb6bb59e3c1f29b75609f1e87aac4≥ 6.18.7 and < 6.18.53version 6.19	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

High

User interaction

None

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

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
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	1.5	6.0	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

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.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
CVSS changed · 8.2
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Sep 25, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

3 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/922873cf4fc34124215070a8ad391bf831538bb9
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e4a3ec3411bb6bb59e3c1f29b75609f1e87aac4
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/84e0cd79d57f06b872154eb5d8f610584133f260
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 15h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 15h
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
Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 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 fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
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-2026-97525 is "x86/mm/pat: Allocate split page tables as kernel page tables", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.2 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.17% 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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