CVE-2026-72412: s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit

Is it exploited?

Not on CISA's list. CISA has not added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as of 28 Oct 2026. If CISA adds it, this page shows it as known exploited.

How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?

0.2%

EPSS score, percentile 7.5 of all scored records. A probability estimated by FIRST, not a report of exploitation.

How severe?

9.3 Critical

CVSS v3.1 base score, given by the CNA

What should I do?

CISA has set no required action, because the vulnerability is not in KEV.

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

Which versions are affected?

Affected

• 7.0

Unaffected before 7.0; 7.1.5; 7.2

Versions by product

Source: CISA KEV 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST EPSS, as of 29 Oct 2026; CVE List, as of 29 Oct 2026. About the data.

What to do

Advisories and patches

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

This summary is based on the CVE record as of 29 Oct 2026. Check the vendor's advisory before you act: affected versions and fixes can change.

Affected products and versions

As listed in the CVE record.

Versions not listed are: unaffected.

Versions not listed are: affected.

Versions the record lists as unaffected: 7.1.5, 7.2.

Source: CVE List, as of 29 Oct 2026. About the data.

About this vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit The _PAGE_UNUSED softbit should not really be lying around. Its sole purpose is to signal to try_to_unmap_one() and try_to_migrate_one() that the page can be discarded instead of being moved / swapped. KVM has no way to know why a page is being unmapped, so it sets the bit on users…

Summary: CVE record, as of 29 Oct 2026.

• CISA has not added CVE-2026-72412 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.
• The CVE record was published on 15 Aug 2026.
• The CVE record carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.3 (Critical), given by its CNA.
• FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.2% (percentile 7.5), as of 29 Oct 2026. EPSS is a statistical estimate, not a report of exploitation.

Source: CISA KEV 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List, as of 29 Oct 2026; FIRST EPSS, as of 29 Oct 2026. About the data.

Description

s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/mm: Fix handling of _PAGE_UNUSED pte bit The _PAGE_UNUSED softbit should not really be lying around. Its sole purpose is to signal to try_to_unmap_one() and try_to_migrate_one() that the page can be discarded instead of being moved / swapped. KVM has no way to know why a page is being unmapped, so it sets the bit on userspace ptes corresponding to unused guest pages every time they get unmapped. KVM has no reasonable way to clear the bit once the page is in use again. While set_ptes() checks and clears the bit, other paths that set new ptes did not. This led to used pages being thrown out as if they were unused, causing guest corruption. Fix the issue by clearing the _PAGE_UNUSED bit for present ptes in set_pte(), i.e. whenever a present pte is getting set. The check in set_ptes() is then redundant and can be removed. Also fix gmap_helper_try_set_pte_unused() to only set the bit if the pte is present; the _PAGE_UNUSED bit is only defined for present ptes and thus should not be set for non-present ptes.

Source: CVE List, as of 29 Oct 2026. About the data.

Timeline

Known exploited Linux vulnerabilities

• CVE-2026-46300: Linux Kernel Missing Initialization of a Variable Vulnerability (added 28 Oct 2026)
• CVE-2025-39682: Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions Vulnerability (added 18 Sep 2026)
• CVE-2025-39964: Linux Kernel Race Condition Vulnerability (added 18 Sep 2026)
• CVE-2026-53266: Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability (added 18 Sep 2026)
• CVE-2026-53362: Linux Kernel Unspecified Vulnerability (added 27 Aug 2026)