In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
mm: cachestat: fix two shmem bugs
When cachestat on shmem races with swapping and invalidation, there
are two possible bugs:
1) A swapin error can have resulted in a poisoned swap entry in the
shmem inode's xarray. Calling get_shadow_from_swap_cache() on it
will result in an out-of-bounds access to swapper_spaces[].
Validate the entry with non_swap_entry() before going further.
2) When we find a valid swap entry in the shmem's inode, the shadow
entry in the swapcache might not exist yet: swap IO is still in
progress and we're before __remove_mapping; swapin, invalidation,
or swapoff have removed the shadow from swapcache after we saw the
shmem swap entry.
This will send a NULL to workingset_test_recent(). The latter
purely operates on pointer bits, so it won't crash - node 0, memcg
ID 0, eviction timestamp 0, etc. are all valid inputs - but it's a
bogus test. In theory that could result in a false "recently
evicted" count.
Such a false positive wouldn't be the end of the world. But for
code clarity and (future) robustness, be explicit about this case.
Bail on get_shadow_from_swap_cache() returning NULL.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A local, low-privileged user may trigger a Linux kernel memory-management race involving shared memory, potentially exposing sensitive memory or disrupting the system. The supplied CVSS score is 7.1 (high). Exploitation requires local access; the source bundle provides no evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation in the next accelerated patch cycle, especially on shared or multi-user Linux systems. Escalate systems with untrusted local access. Emergency internet-edge action is not supported by the evidence because the documented attack vector is local and active exploitation is unconfirmed.
Technical view
Concurrent cachestat operations, shmem swapping, and invalidation can pass a poisoned swap entry into get_shadow_from_swap_cache(), causing an out-of-bounds access to swapper_spaces[]. A second race can pass a missing shadow entry to workingset_test_recent(), producing an inaccurate recently-evicted count. The fixes validate swap entries and handle NULL results.
Likely exposure
Systems running affected Linux kernel builds and allowing local users to reach cachestat operations on shmem may be exposed. The bundle identifies Linux 6.5 and several later version markers, but does not clearly define complete affected ranges. Confirm status through the operating-system vendor’s kernel advisory and build metadata.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates local access, low complexity, low privileges, and no user interaction, with potential confidentiality and availability impact. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle, and no cited source establishes public or active exploitation. Treat exploit status as unconfirmed.
Researcher notes
The primary security issue is the poisoned-entry out-of-bounds access, classified as CWE-787. The second defect is described as a robustness and accounting problem rather than a crash. The supplied affected-version data is ambiguous, so avoid inferring precise vulnerable ranges without distribution-specific confirmation.
Mitigation direction
Upgrade to a vendor-supported kernel containing the referenced upstream fixes.
Check distribution advisories for exact fixed package versions before deployment.
Prioritize multi-user systems where untrusted local accounts can execute workloads.
Use normal maintenance controls and rollback planning for kernel updates.
Validation and detection
Record each system’s running kernel release and vendor package build.
Compare builds with vendor advisories and the four referenced fix commits.
Confirm the replacement kernel is active after reboot.
Review kernel logs for unexplained memory faults or system instability.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
cwe · low confidence lookup
CWE-787: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
CWE-787 · source CWE mapping
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.