CVE-2026-72169
Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel Memory Alignment Issue in KHO

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: kho: make sure scratch size is always aligned by CMA_MIN_ALIGNMENT_BYTES When using scratch_scale, the scratch sizes are rounded up to CMA_MIN_ALIGNMENT_BYTES since they will be released as MIGRATE_CMA. This is not done when using fixed scratch sizes via command line. This can result in user specifying a size which is not aligned, and thus kernel releasing a pageblock that is only partially scratch. Do the rounding up for both cases in scratch_size_update().

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-72169
EUVD
EUVD-2026-58927

Affected Vendors & Products

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

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper alignment of scratch sizes when using scratch_scale or fixed scratch sizes via command line. The issue occurs because scratch sizes are not consistently rounded up to CMA_MIN_ALIGNMENT_BYTES, which can lead to partially used pageblocks being released as MIGRATE_CMA.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's memory management and cannot be detected through standard network or system commands. It requires kernel source code analysis or runtime checks for misaligned scratch sizes in CMA operations.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability may cause inefficient memory usage in the Linux kernel, potentially leading to degraded system performance or unexpected behavior when handling memory allocations involving CMA (Contiguous Memory Allocator).

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that include the fix for this issue. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution and update to a patched version immediately.

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