CVE-2026-98254: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: swiotlb: use the adjusted address for the highmem page lookup swiotlb

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: swiotlb: use the adjusted address for the highmem page lookup swiotlb_bounce() reads the p

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: swiotlb: use the adjusted address for the highmem page lookup swiotlb_bounce() reads the page frame number from the slot's recorded orig_addr, then advances orig_addr by tlb_offset to reach the address the caller asked about. The highmem branch mixes the two: the offset within the page comes from the adjusted address, the page from the value before it. Once the adjustment crosses a page boundary the pair no longer describes one location, and the whole copy lands one page below the intended one for a positive tlb_offset, one above for a negative one. DMA_FROM_DEVICE writes the device data over the wrong page and leaves the intended one stale, DMA_TO_DEVICE feeds the device from a page the mapping may not cover. Partial syncs through dma_sync_single_range_for_*() are what make tlb_offset non-zero. The branch test is picked the same way, so a slot recorded in lowmem can be adjusted into highmem and the lowmem path then hands a highmem address to phys_to_virt(). Take both from orig_addr once it is final and keep pfn in the branch that uses it. PhysHighMem() asks the question straight from the address, as dma-debug

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.13%, higher than 2% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

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Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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