Memory Fault Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affecting Multiple Architectures

CVE-2026-80685

What is CVE-2026-80685?

A memory fault vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel that can lead to a system crash if the page isolation path attempts to read a non-existent memory location during DLPAR memory removal. The incorrect handling of order-1 folios at the end of a vmemmap section can result in attempts to access __page_2 when it should not. This vulnerability can disrupt operations, particularly in high-capacity environments like a 22 TB ppc64le LPAR, making it crucial for administrators to implement necessary patches to avoid potential system failures. The recent fixes address these flaws by ensuring checks are correctly implemented before attempting to read memory sections.

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