CVE-2026-90201: Linux Vulnerability

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: page_pool: fix UAF in __page_pool_release_netmem_dma on xa_cmpxchg race This bug was discovered while testing the hns3 driver under channel reconfiguration (`ethtool -L` / `ethtool -G`) with iperf3 traffic on arm64. The race is intermittently triggered when page_pool_destroy() runs page_pool_scrub() concurrently with page return via page_pool_put_netmem() on a different CPU. A WARN in page_pool_clear_pp_info() surfaced the dangling DMA index bits left by the cmpxchg loser, which led to the investigation. page_pool_scrub() iterates pool->dma_mapped via xa_for_each() with no page ref held. __page_pool_release_netmem_dma() currently reads and writes netmem fields (dma_addr, DMA index bits in pp_magic) after xa_cmpxchg() returns. The unref path calls put_page() unconditionally regardless of the cmpxchg outcome; when it loses the cmpxchg, it still frees the page before the scrub winner finishes these netmem accesses, so scrub touches a freed page -- a Use-After-Free. Fix this by splitting the DMA release into two functions: 1. __page_pool_unmap_netmem_dma() caches dma_addr before xa_cmpxchg(), does the cmpxchg to remove the DMA mapping, and calls dma_unmap on the cached address. It never touches netmem fields after the cmpxchg, making it safe for the scrub path which holds no page ref. 2. __page_pool_release_netmem_dma() wraps the above and additionally clears dma_addr and DMA index bits in netmem fields. This is safe only when the caller holds a page ref, so it is used by the return path (page_pool_return_netmem). The scrub path calls __page_pool_unmap_netmem_dma() directly; the return path calls __page_pool_release_netmem_dma().

Affected Software

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

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 4f51fb0d257ff4d406ec27966902de075e3b118e, < bbfef303f980c1c078b8fa142e10a0e2fbcdd247; >= ee62ce7a1d909ccba0399680a03c2dee83bcae95, < 424a9fc4876cc7f28e9cb0aa8d92e920d726e350; >= ee62ce7a1d909ccba0399680a03c2dee83bcae95, < 9b65b0253ad5a66f73efee9a79a21a1e2b57cf59; >= ee62ce7a1d909ccba0399680a03c2dee83bcae95, < 24ef02f934eeb48830cff6b739abc3c62b1d107b; c30ae60f41f9edd6e1b5cad41cf28ce04dae39e4; >= 6.12.34, < 6.12.110; >= 6.15.3, < 6.16
Linux	Linux	6.16

References

Timeline

Published: Sep 17, 2026
Last Modified: Sep 17, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-90201?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: page_pool: fix UAF in __page_pool_release_netmem_dma on xa_cmpxchg race This bug was discovered while testing the hns3 driver under channel reconfiguration (`ethtool -L` / `ethtool -G`) with iperf3 traffic on arm64. The race is intermittently triggered when page_pool_destroy() runs page_pool_scrub() concurrently with page return via page_pool_put_netmem() on a different CPU. A WARN in page_pool_clear_pp_info() surfaced the dangling DMA index bits left by the cmpxchg loser, which led to the investigation. page_pool_scrub() iterates pool->dma_mapped via xa_for_each() with no page ref held. __page_pool_release_netmem_dma() currently reads and writes netmem fields (dma_addr, DMA index bits in pp_magic) after xa_cmpxchg() returns. The unref path calls put_page() unconditionally regardless of the cmpxchg outcome; when it loses the cmpxchg, it still frees the page before the scrub winner finishes these netmem accesses, so scrub touches a freed page -- a Use-After-Free. Fix this by splitting the DMA release into two functions: 1. __page_pool_unmap_netmem_dma() caches dma_addr before xa_cmpxchg(), does the cmpxchg to remove the DMA mapping, and calls dma_unmap on the cached address. It never touches netmem fields after the cmpxchg, making it safe for the scrub path which holds no page ref. 2. __page_pool_release_netmem_dma() wraps the above and additionally clears dma_addr and DMA index bits in netmem fields. This is safe only when the caller holds a page ref, so it is used by the return path (page_pool_return_netmem). The scrub path calls __page_pool_unmap_netmem_dma() directly; the return path calls __page_pool_release_netmem_dma().

How severe is CVE-2026-90201?

Severity scoring for CVE-2026-90201 is pending analysis.

How do I fix CVE-2026-90201?

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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