CVE-2026-43188

MEDIUM
Published May 6, 2026 Modified May 11, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ceph: do not propagate page array emplacement errors as batch errors When fscrypt is enabled, move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() may fail because it needs to allocate bounce buffers to store the encrypted versions of each folio. Each folio beyond the first allocates its bounce buffer with GFP_NOWAIT. Failures are common (and expected) under this allocation mode; they should flush (not abort) the batch. However, ceph_process_folio_batch() uses the same `rc` variable for its own return code and for capturing the return codes of its routine calls; failing to reset `rc` back to 0 results in the error being propagated out to the main writeback loop, which cannot actually tolerate any errors here: once `ceph_wbc.pages` is allocated, it must be passed to ceph_submit_write() to be freed. If it survives until the next iteration (e.g. due to the goto being followed), ceph_allocate_page_array()'s BUG_ON() will oops the worker. Note that this failure mode is currently masked due to another bug (addressed next in this series) that prevents multiple encrypted folios from being selected for the same write. For now, just reset `rc` when redirtying the folio to prevent errors in move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() from propagating. Note that move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() is careful never to return errors on the first folio, so there is no need to check for that. After this change, ceph_process_folio_batch() no longer returns errors; its only remaining failure indicator is `locked_pages == 0`, which the caller already handles correctly.

CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0001
Probability of exploitation
0.02%
Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Affected Products

Vendor Product
linux linux_kernel
linux linux_kernel

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43188? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ceph: do not propagate page array emplacement errors as batch errors When fscrypt is enabled, move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() may fail because it needs to allocate bounce buffers to store the encrypted versions of each folio. Each folio beyond the first allocates its bounce buffer with GFP_NOWAIT. Failures are common (and expected) under this allocation mode; they should flush (not abort) the batch. However, ceph_process_folio_batch() uses the same `rc` variable for its own return code and for capturing the return codes of its routine calls; failing to reset `rc` back to 0 results in the error being propagated out to the main writeback loop, which cannot actually tolerate any errors here: once `ceph_wbc.pages` is allocated, it must be passed to ceph_submit_write() to be freed. If it survives until the next iteration (e.g. due to the goto being followed), ceph_allocate_page_array()'s BUG_ON() will oops the worker. Note that this failure mode is currently masked due to another bug (addressed next in this series) that prevents multiple encrypted folios from being selected for the same write. For now, just reset `rc` when redirtying the folio to prevent errors in move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() from propagating. Note that move_dirty_folio_in_page_array() is careful never to return errors on the first folio, so there is no need to check for that. After this change, ceph_process_folio_batch() no longer returns errors; its only remaining failure indicator is `locked_pages == 0`, which the caller already handles correctly. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2026-43188? +
CVE-2026-43188 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0001, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-43188? +
CVE-2026-43188 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-43188? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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