CVE-2026-72174

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

fs/proc/task_mmu: fix hugetlb self-deadlock in pagemap_scan_pte_hole()

A PAGEMAP_SCAN ioctl requesting PM_SCAN_WP_MATCHING on a hugetlb VMA hangs
the calling thread, unkillably, as soon as the scan reaches an unpopulated
part of the range:

  do_pagemap_scan()
    walk_page_range()
      walk_hugetlb_range()
        hugetlb_vma_lock_read()           # take the vma lock for read ...
        pagemap_scan_pte_hole()           # ... ->pte_hole() for a hole
          uffd_wp_range()
            change_protection()
              hugetlb_change_protection()
                hugetlb_vma_lock_write()  # ... and block taking it for write

walk_hugetlb_range() holds the hugetlb vma lock for read across the whole
walk.  A present entry goes to ->hugetlb_entry(); an unpopulated one goes
to ->pte_hole(), i.e.  pagemap_scan_pte_hole().  To write-protect the hole
that handler calls uffd_wp_range(), which on a hugetlb VMA reaches
hugetlb_change_protection() and takes the same vma lock for write.  The
thread then blocks in down_write() waiting for the read lock it is itself
holding.

The populated path avoids this: pagemap_scan_hugetlb_entry()
write-protects the entry inline under the page-table lock and never enters
hugetlb_change_protection().

Do the same for holes.  Fault in the page table and install the uffd-wp
marker directly with make_uffd_wp_huge_pte() under the page-table lock,
rather than routing through uffd_wp_range().  That is the same sequence
hugetlb_change_protection() runs for an unpopulated entry, minus the vma
write lock -- which is safe to skip because PMD sharing is disabled on
uffd-wp VMAs (hugetlb_unshare_all_pmds() runs at registration), leaving
nothing for that lock to serialise against.