---
title: "CVE-2026-90046: Linux Kernel - Privilege Escalation"
description: "Linux kernel contains a privilege escalation vulnerability caused by unsafe use of spin_trylock() in NMI context on UP systems in mm/page_alloc component, letting local attackers crash the kernel and escalate privileges, exploit requires BPF programs running in NMI on non-SMP builds."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-90046/
---

# CVE-2026-90046 Linux Kernel - Privilege Escalation

Linux kernel contains a privilege escalation vulnerability caused by unsafe use of spin\_trylock() in NMI context on UP systems in mm/page\_alloc component, letting local attackers crash the kernel and escalate privileges, exploit requires BPF programs running in NMI on non-SMP builds.

CVSS base score 7.8 /10

High

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

None known

Authentication

Required

EPSS

0.17% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90046)

## Details

Type

Privilege Escalation

Impact

Denial Of Service, Privilege Escalation

CVSS vector

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

Published

16 September 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

## Vendor fix

Update to the latest Linux kernel version containing the patch for mm/page\_alloc spin\_trylock() in NMI on UP.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

## References

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90046](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90046)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06c76d3c389ff504052f64b1acee44651bd847fa](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06c76d3c389ff504052f64b1acee44651bd847fa)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3105ae628fb785d48b49256468be4f21a7b3cfc0](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3105ae628fb785d48b49256468be4f21a7b3cfc0)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68a069b407303e71db371df85036101e8ff59280](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68a069b407303e71db371df85036101e8ff59280)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

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