CVE-2026-72212

System crash via incorrect altmap cleanup

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Memory corruption in the Linux memory-hotplug subsystem allows local users to crash systems during failed memory-block device creation. The create_altmaps_and_memory_blocks() error path passes a null altmap to arch_remove_memory(), causing vmemmap_free() to release altmap-backed pages into the system buddy allocator before their physical mapping is destroyed. Reachability requires privileged memory hotplug with memmap_on_memory enabled and a subsequent device-creation failure; later allocation of the unowned pages can cause a machine check or corrupt memory.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory corruption in the Linux memory-hotplug subsystem allows local users to crash systems during failed memory-block device creation. The create_altmaps_and_memory_blocks() error path passes a null altmap to arch_remove_memory(), causing vmemmap_free() to release altmap-backed pages into the system buddy allocator before their physical mapping is destroyed. Reachability requires privileged memory hotplug with memmap_on_memory enabled and a subsequent device-creation failure; later allocation of the unowned pages can cause a machine check or corrupt memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-72212
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-788, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 2026Record 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=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <2f9e3ec17c3d2093c664c00a027588a446c39894
  3. Affected versionversion=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <2fac4afa0e2e68841334c78c1821e49f74fbc66a
  4. Affected versionversion=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <3833e6abdbbfb59ec8203a84a84206cb7ffb41ac
  5. Affected versionversion=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <722e6c54bde6391fb95f0357f555aca887c7b18c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <2f9e3ec17c3d2093c664c00a027588a446c39894; version=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <2fac4afa0e2e68841334c78c1821e49f74fbc66a; version=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <3833e6abdbbfb59ec8203a84a84206cb7ffb41ac; version=6b8f0798b85aa529011570369db985a788f3003f <722e6c54bde6391fb95f0357f555aca887c7b18c

Published CVSS scores

4.7Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H

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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-788Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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