CVE-2026-64514
Received Received - Intake

userfaultfd Write Access Check Bypass in Linux Kernel

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-64514, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-07-25

Last updated on: 2026-07-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: userfaultfd: gate must_wait writability check on pte_present() userfaultfd_must_wait() and userfaultfd_huge_must_wait() read the PTE without taking the page table lock and then apply pte_write() / huge_pte_write() to it. Those accessors decode bits from the present encoding only; on a swap or migration entry they read the offset bits that happen to share the same position and return an undefined result. The intent of the check is "is this fault still WP-blocked?". A non-marker swap entry means the page is in transit -- the userfault context the original fault delivered against is no longer the same, and the swap-in or migration completion path will re-deliver a fresh fault if userspace still needs to handle it. Worst case under the current code the garbage write bit says "wait", and the thread stays asleep until a UFFDIO_WAKE that may never arrive. Gate the writability check on pte_present() so the lockless re-check only inspects present-PTE bits when the entry is actually present. The non-present, non-marker case returns "don't wait" and lets the fault path retry.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-25
Last Modified
2026-07-25
Generated
2026-07-25
AI Q&A
2026-07-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a race condition in the userfaultfd subsystem. The issue occurs when checking write permissions on page table entries (PTEs) without proper locking. The code incorrectly interprets swap or migration entries as present PTEs, leading to undefined behavior when checking write permissions. This can cause threads to wait indefinitely for a wake-up signal that may never arrive.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system hangs or crashes if exploited. Affected systems may experience unexpected delays or unresponsiveness in processes relying on userfaultfd. In worst cases, it might lead to denial-of-service conditions where applications remain stuck waiting for events that never occur.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version to resolve this vulnerability. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution vendor and apply them promptly.

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