CVE-2026-99240
Received Received - Intake

Division by Zero in Linux Kernel DAMON

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-99240, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-11-02

Last updated on: 2026-11-02

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/core: error damos_commit_quota_goal() for zero target_value Patch series "mm/damon: move zero damos quota target_value handling to the core layer". Having zero DAMOS quota target value can cause division by zero. DAMON API callers are checking the target value parameters to avoid that. It is easy to make mistakes in some of the multiple API callers. Move that to the core layer. Patch 1 adds the corner case handling into the core layer DAMON parameters validation logic. Patches 2 and 3 remove no more needed DAMON API callers side handling of the corner case in DAMON_LRU_SORT and DMON_SAMPLIE_MTIER, respectively. This patch (of 3): If a DAMOS scheme has a damos_quota_goal of zero target_value, damos_quota_goal() could trigger division-by-zero error. Hence each DAMON API callers should do the zero target_value validation. It is easy to make mistakes. Actually such bugs in DAMON_LRU_SORT and DAMON_SAMPLE_MTIER were found and fixed [1]. It is better to handle the corner case only once in the core layer, instead of multiple places in all DAMON API callers. One straightforward option is using an alternative denominator for the corner case in the damos_quota_goal(). However, the zero target_value is meaningless. In this case, the quota goal is always evaluated as achieved or over-achieved. The quota will only keep being reduced. Simply avoid using zero target_value by adding a check in the core layer DAMOS quota goal parameters validation/commit path, damos_commit_quota_goal(). Update it to return an error in the case. Also update its caller to propagate the error.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-11-02
Last Modified
2026-11-02
Generated
2026-11-02
AI Q&A
2026-11-02
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 6 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2
Linux Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2
Linux Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2
Linux Linux 0
Linux Linux 0
Linux Linux 0

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a division-by-zero error in the DAMON (Data Access Monitor) subsystem. When a DAMOS scheme has a zero target_value for damos_quota_goal, the function damos_quota_goal() could trigger a division-by-zero error. The fix moves the validation of zero target_value from individual API callers to the core layer to prevent such errors.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's DAMON subsystem and involves a division-by-zero error when a DAMOS scheme has a zero damos_quota_goal. Detection requires checking kernel logs for division-by-zero errors or crashes related to DAMON operations. Commands like dmesg | grep -i damon or journalctl -k | grep -i damon may help identify such issues.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause system crashes or instability due to division-by-zero errors in the Linux kernel. Systems relying on DAMON for memory management may experience unexpected behavior or failures.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA as it is a low-level kernel issue related to division-by-zero in memory management. It could indirectly impact compliance if exploited to cause system instability or crashes, potentially affecting data processing integrity.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that moves zero damos_quota_goal handling to the core layer. Ensure all DAMON API callers validate target values before use. Update to a patched kernel version where this issue is resolved.

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