CVE-2025-68231

Kernel crash via incomplete HIGHMEM page mapping

Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

A memory access error in affected Linux kernels causes a kernel crash when mempool poisoning handles high-order HIGHMEM pages. The poison_element path maps only the first page but writes across the entire high-order allocation, reaching an unmapped page. The fault requires CONFIG_HIGHMEM and poisoning or checking of an order-greater-than-zero allocation; the published record identifies no attacker-controlled trigger.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

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Summary

What happened

A memory access error in affected Linux kernels causes a kernel crash when mempool poisoning handles high-order HIGHMEM pages. The poison_element path maps only the first page but writes across the entire high-order allocation, reaching an unmapped page. The fault requires CONFIG_HIGHMEM and poisoning or checking of an order-greater-than-zero allocation; the published record identifies no attacker-controlled trigger.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68231
Published
Dec 16, 2025
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.1
  2. Affected versionversion=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <19de79aaea33ee1ea058c8711b3b2b4a7e4decd4
  3. Affected versionversion=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <6a13b56537e7b0d97f4bb74e8038ce471f9770d7
  4. Affected versionversion=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <a79e49e1704367b635edad1479db23d7cf1fb71a
  5. Affected versionversion=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <ea4131665107e66ece90e66bcec1a2f1246cbd41
  6. Affected versionversion=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <ec33b59542d96830e3c89845ff833cf7b25ef172

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.1; version=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <19de79aaea33ee1ea058c8711b3b2b4a7e4decd4; version=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <6a13b56537e7b0d97f4bb74e8038ce471f9770d7; version=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <a79e49e1704367b635edad1479db23d7cf1fb71a; version=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <ea4131665107e66ece90e66bcec1a2f1246cbd41; version=bdfedb76f4f5aa5e37380e3b71adee4a39f30fc6 <ec33b59542d96830e3c89845ff833cf7b25ef172

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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