CVE-2026-72213: Linux Vulnerability (CVSS 7.1)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/hugetlb: fix hugetlb cgroup rsvd charge/uncharge mismatch In alloc_hugetlb_folio(), a single h_cg pointer is used for both the rsvd and non-rsvd hugetlb cgroup charges. When map_chg is set, hugetlb_cgroup_charge_cgroup_rsvd() stores the charged cgroup in h_cg, but the immediately following hugetlb_cgroup_charge_cgroup() overwrites h_cg with the non-rsvd cgroup pointer. As a result, hugetlb_cgroup_commit_charge_rsvd() stores the wrong (non-rsvd) cgroup pointer into the folio's rsvd slot. When the folio is later freed, free_huge_folio() unconditionally calls both hugetlb_cgroup_uncharge_folio() and hugetlb_cgroup_uncharge_folio_rsvd(). The rsvd uncharge reads back the wrong cgroup from the folio and decrements a counter that was never charged for that cgroup, causing a page_counter underflow: page_counter underflow: -512 nr_pages=512 WARNING: mm/page_counter.c:61 at page_counter_cancel Fix this by introducing a separate h_cg_rsvd pointer exclusively for the rsvd charge path, keeping the rsvd and non-rsvd charges fully independent through their charge, commit, and error uncharge paths.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.1/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.20%

10.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 08cf9faf7558020aed6a0da5810b824b07139dfa, < 5c32ae4a91fb5f4941328e0c1720a7fa4189c3bd; >= 08cf9faf7558020aed6a0da5810b824b07139dfa, < 1697d253f51cf5e3825a3423ff49e128a3502ab2; >= 08cf9faf7558020aed6a0da5810b824b07139dfa, < b785f2bd9496facedc0a031be09cddcd1d3c84d3; >= 08cf9faf7558020aed6a0da5810b824b07139dfa, < 15807d0ddde37407af72859426b654f3d1972b00
Linux	Linux	5.7

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 15, 2026
Last Modified: Aug 17, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-72213?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/hugetlb: fix hugetlb cgroup rsvd charge/uncharge mismatch In alloc_hugetlb_folio(), a single h_cg pointer is used for both the rsvd and non-rsvd hugetlb cgroup charges. When map_chg is set, hugetlb_cgroup_charge_cgroup_rsvd() stores the charged cgroup in h_cg, but the immediately following hugetlb_cgroup_charge_cgroup() overwrites h_cg with the non-rsvd cgroup pointer. As a result, hugetlb_cgroup_commit_charge_rsvd() stores the wrong (non-rsvd) cgroup pointer into the folio's rsvd slot. When the folio is later freed, free_huge_folio() unconditionally calls both hugetlb_cgroup_uncharge_folio() and hugetlb_cgroup_uncharge_folio_rsvd(). The rsvd uncharge reads back the wrong cgroup from the folio and decrements a counter that was never charged for that cgroup, causing a page_counter underflow: page_counter underflow: -512 nr_pages=512 WARNING: mm/page_counter.c:61 at page_counter_cancel Fix this by introducing a separate h_cg_rsvd pointer exclusively for the rsvd charge path, keeping the rsvd and non-rsvd charges fully independent through their charge, commit, and error uncharge paths.

How severe is CVE-2026-72213?

CVE-2026-72213 has a CVSS score of 7.1/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-72213?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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