Kernel heap overwrite via unchecked cache segment count
Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Sep 11, 2026
Out-of-bounds write in Linux 6.18 dm-pcache allows local users with CAP_SYS_ADMIN to corrupt kernel heap memory via a forged cache device. The cache_dev_start() path trusts the crc32c-only superblock seg_num without checking it against the DAX device, so cache_dev_zero_range() can write 12 KiB beyond the mapping. Exploitation requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN, a crafted persistent-memory cache image, and a dm-pcache table load; the demonstrated consequence is an out-of-bounds kernel-heap write.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds write in Linux 6.18 dm-pcache allows local users with CAP_SYS_ADMIN to corrupt kernel heap memory via a forged cache device. The cache_dev_start() path trusts the crc32c-only superblock seg_num without checking it against the DAX device, so cache_dev_zero_range() can write 12 KiB beyond the mapping. Exploitation requires CAP_SYS_ADMIN, a crafted persistent-memory cache image, and a dm-pcache table load; the demonstrated consequence is an out-of-bounds kernel-heap write.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-80960
- Published
- Sep 11, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 11, 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.
- Affected versionversion=1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0 <62d92e45abe9e087370f9fc5d876b95673aced34
- Affected versionversion=1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0 <91b93fe5cf4d62d5ecc642a6c8f15a3c11b00e3c
- Affected versionversion=1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0 <e889c0ee81165fc90aad2979b51f930f77895703
- Affected versionversion=6.18
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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