CVE-2026-23097
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
migrate: correct lock ordering for hugetlb file folios
Syzbot has found a deadlock (analyzed by Lance Yang):
- Task (5749): Holds folio_lock, then tries to acquire i_mmap_rwsem(read lock).
- Task (5754): Holds i_mmap_rwsem(write lock), then tries to acquire folio_lock.
migrate_pages() -> migrate_hugetlbs() -> unmap_and_move_huge_page() <- Takes folio_lock! -> remove_migration_ptes() -> __rmap_walk_file() -> i_mmap_lock_read() <- Waits for i_mmap_rwsem(read lock)!
hugetlbfs_fallocate() -> hugetlbfs_punch_hole() <- Takes i_mmap_rwsem(write lock)! -> hugetlbfs_zero_partial_page() -> filemap_lock_hugetlb_folio() -> filemap_lock_folio() -> __filemap_get_folio <- Waits for folio_lock!
The migration path is the one taking locks in the wrong order according to the documentation at the top of mm/rmap.c. So expand the scope of the existing i_mmap_lock to cover the calls to remove_migration_ptes() too.
This is (mostly) how it used to be after commit c0d0381ade79. That was removed by 336bf30eb765 for both file & anon hugetlb pages when it should only have been removed for anon hugetlb pages.
No affected software listed.
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b68efce6dd483d22f50d0d3800c4cfda14b1305
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/526394af4e8ade89cacd1a9ce2b97712712fcc34
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5edb9854f8df5428b40990a1c7d60507da5bd330
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ad97b9a55246eb940a26ac977f80892a395cabf9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b75070823b89009f5123fd0e05a8e0c3d39937c1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7880cb166ab62c2409046b2347261abf701530e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7396d23f9d5739f56cf9ab430c3a169f5508394
Deep Security Visibility Without the Complexity
SynScan provides clear, real-time security insights so you can monitor your attack surface, spot risks early, and act fast—without extra complexity.
- No setup fees
- 5-min deployment
- Cancel anytime
Frequently Asked Questions
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.