CVE-2026-43292
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/vmalloc: prevent RCU stalls in kasan_release_vmalloc_node When CONFIG_PAGE_OWNER is enabled, freeing KASAN shadow pages during vmalloc cleanup triggers expensive stack unwinding that acquires RCU read locks. Processing a large purge_list without rescheduling can cause the task to hold CPU for extended periods (10+ seconds), leading to RCU stalls and potential OOM conditions. The issue manifests in purge_vmap_node() -> kasan_release_vmalloc_node() where iterating through hundreds or thousands of vmap_area entries and freeing their associated shadow pages causes: rcu: INFO: rcu_preempt detected stalls on CPUs/tasks: rcu: Tasks blocked on level-0 rcu_node (CPUs 0-1): P6229/1:b..l ... task:kworker/0:17 state:R running task stack:28840 pid:6229 ... kasan_release_vmalloc_node+0x1ba/0xad0 mm/vmalloc.c:2299 purge_vmap_node+0x1ba/0xad0 mm/vmalloc.c:2299 Each call to kasan_release_vmalloc() can free many pages, and with page_owner tracking, each free triggers save_stack() which performs stack unwinding under RCU read lock. Without yielding, this creates an unbounded RCU critical section. Add periodic cond_resched() calls within the loop to allow: - RCU grace periods to complete - Other tasks to run - Scheduler to preempt when needed The fix uses need_resched() for immediate response under load, with a batch count of 32 as a guaranteed upper bound to prevent worst-case stalls even under light load.
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.9
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.12.75,
6.18.16,
6.19.6,
7.0
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-43292 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1afe45f89d54b7183768ebbbbf14238ec187ab5c
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2efa9c02c9b4c0d6866aa445f11056809b25ca28
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5747435e0fd474c24530ef1a6822f47e7d264b27
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-43292?
CVE-2026-43292 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.9 onward and has been patched in 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6 and others. CVE-2026-43292 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-43292?
CVE-2026-43292 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-43292?
Yes — CVE-2026-43292 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.9 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-43292 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-43292 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.