CVE-2026-89489
Received Received - Intake

Kernel Memory Access in OpenRISC Linux Kernel

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-89489, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-11

Last updated on: 2026-09-11

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: openrisc: fix arbitrary kernel memory access via or1k_atomic syscall sys_or1k_atomic() (syscall 244 in the "or1k" ABI) takes two user pointers, v1 and v2, and swaps the words they point to in hand-written assembly. l.lwz r29,0(r4) l.lwz r27,0(r5) l.sw 0(r4),r27 l.sw 0(r5),r29 The pointers are not checked with access_ok(). The four memory accesses also have no exception table entries. A caller passes a kernel address as either pointer, and the syscall reads from and writes to it directly. This gives an unprivileged process a kernel read/write primitive. It overwrites kernel data such as the sys_call_table, gaining code execution in kernel context. Check both pointers before entering the critical section. Add fixups for the four memory accesses so faults on valid but unmapped user addresses return -EFAULT. [shorne@gmail.com: fix comment style]

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-11
Last Modified
2026-09-11
Generated
2026-09-12
AI Q&A
2026-09-12
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 allows an unprivileged process to gain arbitrary kernel memory access via the or1k_atomic syscall. The syscall swaps words between two user pointers without checking if they are valid kernel memory addresses. This can lead to reading from or writing to kernel memory, potentially allowing code execution in kernel context.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's openrisc architecture and requires kernel-level access to exploit. Detection would involve checking if your system uses the affected openrisc architecture and kernel version. Use uname -a to check the kernel version and architecture. If you are not running an openrisc-based system, this vulnerability does not apply.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to read sensitive kernel data or overwrite critical kernel structures, such as the sys_call_table. This could allow them to escalate privileges, execute arbitrary code in kernel mode, or crash the system, leading to denial of service.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patch from your Linux distribution to fix the or1k_atomic syscall issue. If you are not using the openrisc architecture, no action is required. Monitor vendor advisories for updates and ensure your kernel is updated to a patched version.

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