CVE-2026-97945Public exploit

User-space data loss via discarded PMD dirty bit

Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026

Data-loss flaw in Linux 6.6 and affected later commits allows local users to trigger loss of rewritten huge-page data under memory pressure. In x86 pmd_modify(), the protection-change mask removes _PAGE_DIRTY before pmd_mksaveddirty() can preserve it, so reclaim treats rewritten pages as clean. Triggering the loss requires a writable PMD-mapped huge page, MADV_FREE or a file-backed mapping, a protection or NUMA update, and reclaim; affected data becomes zero-filled or is never written back.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Data-loss flaw in Linux 6.6 and affected later commits allows local users to trigger loss of rewritten huge-page data under memory pressure. In x86 pmd_modify(), the protection-change mask removes _PAGE_DIRTY before pmd_mksaveddirty() can preserve it, so reclaim treats rewritten pages as clean. Triggering the loss requires a writable PMD-mapped huge page, MADV_FREE or a file-backed mapping, a protection or NUMA update, and reclaim; affected data becomes zero-filled or is never written back.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-97945
Published
Sep 25, 2026
Updated
Sep 25, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 25, 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=6.6
  2. Affected versionversion=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <55ddbc2ca6d5db64d44c3fb8f8705b4d39eb30b7
  3. Affected versionversion=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <a5ad97cbcfcec31430268441c10eedde73200177
  4. Affected versionversion=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <e4d569fe2f436a9b58c048fefabf56eab68c1b7e
  5. Affected versionversion=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <f7491d7c81db0e7c304a7bd757a76d2fbeaff80e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.6; version=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <55ddbc2ca6d5db64d44c3fb8f8705b4d39eb30b7; version=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <a5ad97cbcfcec31430268441c10eedde73200177; version=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <e4d569fe2f436a9b58c048fefabf56eab68c1b7e; version=bb3aadf7d446aaf22c725b274e2c194ac5cb2111 <f7491d7c81db0e7c304a7bd757a76d2fbeaff80e

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.

Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.

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

No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

Public exploit references

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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