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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-63950

Linux kernel: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one Initialize nr_pages to 1 at the start of each loop iteration, like folio_referenced_one() does.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.2% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-63950 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one

Initialize nr_pages to 1 at the start of each loop iteration, like folio_referenced_one() does.

Without this, nr_pages computed by a previous folio_unmap_pte_batch() call can be reused on a later iteration that does not run folio_unmap_pte_batch() again.

Continue reading

mmap a 64K large folio with MAP_ANONYMOUS | MAP_DROPPABLE, then call madvise(MADV_FREE), then make the last page device-exclusive via HMM_DMIRROR_EXCLUSIVE.

Trigger node reclaim through sysfs. Now, in try_to_unmap_one(), we will first clear the first 15 out of 16 entries mapping the lazyfree folio. This will set nr_pages to 15. In the next pvmw walk, this nr_pages gets reused on a device-exclusive pte, thus potentially corrupting folio refcount/mapcount.

At the moment, I have a userspace program which can make the kernel spit out a trace, but the blow up is in folio_referenced_one(), because there are existing bugs in the interaction between device-private and rmap (which too I am investigating). I did a one liner kernel change to avoid going into folio_referenced_one(), and the kernel blows up at folio_remove_rmap_ptes in try_to_unmap_one which is what I wanted.

Note that the bug is there not since file folio batching but lazyfree folio batching, since device-exclusive only works for anonymous folios.

Userspace visible effect is simply kernel crashing somewhere due to refcount/mapcount corruption.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.2%

Scored Percentile 6.8%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-63950 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-63950, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one (CVE-2026-63950). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63950

MLA

"Linux kernel: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one (CVE-2026-63950)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63950.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one (CVE-2026-63950)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-63950.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one (Jul 19, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/rmap: initialize nr_pages to 1 at loop start in try_to_unmap_one

Initialize nr_pages to 1 at the start of each loop iteration, like
folio_referenced_one() does.

Without this, nr_pages computed by a previous folio_unmap_pte_batch() call
can be reused on a later iteration that does not run
folio_unmap_pte_batch() again.

mmap a 64K large folio with MAP_ANONYMOUS | MAP_DROPPABLE, then call
madvise(MADV_FREE), then make the last page device-exclusive via
HMM_DMIRROR_EXCLUSIVE.

Trigger node reclaim through sysfs.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63950).
EPSS 0.2% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-63950&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-63950: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63950
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:52:33.301Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T15:50:56.559Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-63950&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-63950.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Analyzed. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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