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CVE-2025-22034: mm/gup: reject FOLL_SPLIT_PMD with hugetlb VMAs

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/gup: reject FOLL_SPLIT_PMD with hugetlb VMAs Patch series "mm: fixes for device-exclusive entries (hmm)", v2. Discussing the PageTail() call in make_device_exclusive_range() with Willy, I recently discovered [1] that device-exclusive handling does not properly work with THP, making the hmm-tests selftests fail if THPs are enabled on the system. Looking into more details, I found that hugetlb is not properly fenced, and I realized that something that was bugging me for longer -- how device-exclusive entries interact with mapcounts -- completely breaks migration/swapout/split/hwpoison handling of these folios while they have device-exclusive PTEs. The program below can be used to allocate 1 GiB worth of pages and making them device-exclusive on a kernel with CONFIG_TEST_HMM. Once they are device-exclusive, these folios cannot get swapped out (proc$pid/smaps_rollup will always indicate 1 GiB RSS no matter how much one forces memory reclaim), and when having a memory block onlined to ZONE_MOVABLE, trying to offline it will loop forever and complain about failed migration of a page that should be movable. # echo offline > /sys/devices/system/memory/memory136/state # echo online_movable > /sys/devices/system/memory/memory136/state # ./hmm-swap & ... wait until everything is device-exclusive # echo offline > /sys/devices/system/memory/memory136/state [ 285.193431][T14882] page: refcount:2 mapcount:0 mapping:0000000000000000 index:0x7f20671f7 pfn:0x442b6a [ 285.196618][T14882] memcg:ffff888179298000 [ 285.198085][T14882] anon flags: 0x5fff0000002091c(referenced|uptodate| dirty|active|owner_2|swapbacked|node=1|zone=3|lastcpupid=0x7ff) [ 285.201734][T14882] raw: ... [ 285.204464][T14882] raw: ... [ 285.207196][T14882] page dumped because: migration failure [ 285.209072][T14882] page_owner tracks the page as allocated [ 285.210915][T14882] page last allocated via order 0, migratetype Movable, gfp_mask 0x140dca(GFP_HIGHUSER_MOVABLE|__GFP_COMP|__GFP_ZERO), id 14926, tgid 14926 (hmm-swap), ts 254506295376, free_ts 227402023774 [ 285.216765][T14882] post_alloc_hook+0x197/0x1b0 [ 285.218874][T14882] get_page_from_freelist+0x76e/0x3280 [ 285.220864][T14882] __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x38e/0x2740 [ 285.223302][T14882] alloc_pages_mpol+0x1fc/0x540 [ 285.225130][T14882] folio_alloc_mpol_noprof+0x36/0x340 [ 285.227222][T14882] vma_alloc_folio_noprof+0xee/0x1a0 [ 285.229074][T14882] __handle_mm_fault+0x2b38/0x56a0 [ 285.230822][T14882] handle_mm_fault+0x368/0x9f0 ... This series fixes all issues I found so far. There is no easy way to fix without a bigger rework/cleanup. I have a bunch of cleanups on top (some previous sent, some the result of the discussion in v1) that I will send out separately once this landed and I get to it. I wish we could just use some special present PROT_NONE PTEs instead of these (non-present, non-none) fake-swap entries; but that just results in the same problem we keep having (lack of spare PTE bits), and staring at other similar fake-swap entries, that ship has sailed. With this series, make_device_exclusive() doesn't actually belong into mm/rmap.c anymore, but I'll leave moving that for another day. I only tested this series with the hmm-tests selftests due to lack of HW, so I'd appreciate some testing, especially if the interaction between two GPUs wanting a device-exclusive entry works as expected. <program> #include <stdio.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <stdint.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <string.h> #include <sys/mman.h> #include <sys/ioctl.h> #include <linux/types.h> #include <linux/ioctl.h> #define HMM_DMIRROR_EXCLUSIVE _IOWR('H', 0x05, struct hmm_dmirror_cmd) struct hmm_dmirror_cmd { __u64 addr; __u64 ptr; __u64 npages; __u64 cpages; __u64 faults; }; const size_t size = 1 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024ul; const size_t chunk_size = 2 * 1024 * 1024ul; int m ---truncated---

HighCVSS 7.8Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A local user may trigger flawed Linux memory-management behavior involving device-exclusive pages and huge pages. Demonstrated consequences include memory that cannot be reclaimed and memory-offline operations looping indefinitely, creating availability and operational risks. Although scored 7.8, the supplied evidence does not demonstrate real-world data theft or active attacks.

Executive priority

Treat as a high-priority kernel maintenance issue for multi-user, GPU, heterogeneous-memory, or memory-hotplug systems. Accelerate patching where untrusted local workloads run. Standard patch cadence may be reasonable for systems lacking the relevant memory features and local-user exposure, subject to vendor confirmation.

Technical view

Linux mishandles FOLL_SPLIT_PMD with hugetlb VMAs during device-exclusive page processing. Device-exclusive PTEs can disrupt mapcounts and break migration, swapout, splitting, and hardware-poison handling. The documented reproducer requires local access and HMM-related functionality; fixes reject the incompatible flag combination and are available through referenced stable-kernel commits.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most plausible on affected Linux kernels using HMM or device-exclusive memory workflows, particularly GPU or heterogeneous-memory systems with huge pages. The supplied affected-version data names 6.10, 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2, and 6.15, but does not provide sufficiently clear range boundaries for independent interpretation.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector describes a local, low-privilege, low-complexity attack requiring no user interaction. The demonstrated impact is resource-management failure and potential denial of service. The bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation, public weaponization, or remote reachability.

Researcher notes

The upstream report says testing was limited to HMM selftests because relevant hardware was unavailable, specifically requesting multi-GPU interaction testing. Evidence strongly supports memory-management correctness and availability failures, while practical confidentiality and integrity consequences remain insufficiently demonstrated in the supplied sources. Exact affected-version boundaries should be verified through vendor advisories and commit ancestry.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade to a vendor-supported kernel containing the applicable stable fix.
  • Consult the distribution or appliance vendor for exact affected and fixed package versions.
  • Prioritize systems using HMM, device-exclusive memory, GPUs, hugetlb, or memory hotplug.
  • Restrict unnecessary local account and workload access until remediation is complete.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions and distribution package revisions.
  • Check vendor advisories for backports of the four referenced stable commits.
  • Identify systems using HMM, device-exclusive memory, hugetlb, GPUs, or memory hotplug.
  • After upgrading, confirm the fixed kernel is running following reboot.
  • Use authorized regression testing; avoid reproducing disruptive memory-offline behavior on production systems.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

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

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CVE-2025-22034 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7.8 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

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.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
5Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Linux

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.8High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-22034Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux9cb28da54643ad464c47585cd5866c30b0218e67, 9cb28da54643ad464c47585cd5866c30b0218e67, 9cb28da54643ad464c47585cd5866c30b0218e67, 9cb28da54643ad464c47585cd5866c30b0218e67unaffected
LinuxLinux6.10, 0, 6.12.23, 6.13.11, 6.14.2, 6.15affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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