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CVE-2026-53189 is a Linux kernel memory-management vulnerability in mm/huge_memory. The flaw is in __split_huge_pmd_locked(), which updated the file/shmem RSS counter after dropping the PMD mapping's folio reference with folio_put(). If folio_put() released the last reference, subsequent logic in mm_counter_file() could evaluate folio state that had already been freed, specifically through folio_test_swapbacked(). This creates a use-after-free condition during huge-page PMD split handling. The fix reorders operations so the file PMD counter is updated before folio_put(), preventing access to freed folio state.
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A Linux kernel memory-management vulnerability in mm/huge_memory where __split_huge_pmd_locked() updated the file/shmem RSS counter after dropping the PMD mapping's folio reference, potentially causing mm_counter_file() to read freed folio state via folio_test_swapbacked().
A Linux kernel memory-management vulnerability in huge_memory related to PMD counter updates before folio_put().
A Linux kernel vulnerability in mm/huge_memory related to updating the file PMD counter before folio_put().
A specific vulnerability affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 kernel-related packages, referenced in RHSA-2026:57252.
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Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
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