CVE-2026-93259

What the bug is

In CONFIG_PPC_KERNEL_PCREL mode, r2 is no longer reserved for the TOC pointer and is available as a caller-saved register [0]. Both call_do_irq() and call_do_softirq() use inline assembly to call functions with stack switching, but fail to list r2 in their clobber lists. This causes the compiler to assume r2 is preserved across these calls, leading to register corruption when the called functions (__do_irq and __do_softirq) clobber r2. As a result of this kernel crash during interrupt handling is seen and the kernel fails to boot: BUG: Unable to handle kernel data access on write at 0xc000000404697638 Faulting instruction address: 0xc0000000000181ec Oops: Kernel access of bad area, sig: 11 [#1] NIP [c0000000000181ec] __do_IRQ+0x6c/0xc0 With older GCC, the compiler would conservatively allocate callee-saved registers (like r31) for values spanning function calls, accidentally avoiding the bug: <__do_IRQ>: 00 00 00 60 nop a6 02 08 7c mflr r0 f8 ff e1 fb std r31,-8(r1) f0 ff c1 fb std r30,-16(r1) 2d 03 10 06 pla r31,53297316 ... 3d e8 ff 4b bl c0000000000165ac <__do_irq> 00 00 21 e8 ld r1,0(r1) 28 00 4d e9 ld r10,40(r13) 40 00 21 38 addi r1,r1,64 2a f9 aa 7f stdx r29,r10,r31 With newer GCC 14, the compiler uses r2 for such values, exposing the missing clobber specification: <__do_IRQ>: 00 00 00 60 nop a6 02 08 7c mflr r0 f0 ff c1 fb std r30,-16(r1) f8 ff e1 fb std r31,-8(r1) 29 02 10 06 pla r2,36252592 # c0000000022aadc0 <__irq_regs> ... 85 dc ff 4b bl c000000000015ee0 <__do_irq> 00 00 21 e8 ld r1,0(r1) 28 00 2d e9 ld r9,40(r13) 30 00 21 38 addi r1,r1,48 2a 11 c9 7f stdx r30,r9,r2 Fix this by adding r2 to the clobber list for both call_do_irq() and call_do_softirq() when CONFIG_PPC_KERNEL_PCREL is enabled. [0]: https://www.mail-archive.com/gcc-patches@gcc.gnu.org/msg313226.html

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

arch/powerpc/kernel/irq.c

What this is

LINUX FOR POWERPC (32-BIT AND 64-BIT)MAINTAINERS section matched on arch/powerpc/ · linuxppc-dev@lists.ozlabs.org · Supported

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this code. Every release below compiles the affected file into the kernels it ships.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12y

y

built into the kernel image on every flavour - only a patch removes it

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-09-24 (24 days ago)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

0.19%, higher than 7.7% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

unimportantsource

Subsystem

arch/powerpc

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
6.4	6.6.157	dcc442a49c0f
6.4	6.12.110	602ee44415f3
6.4	6.18.52	90d953002cf0
6.4	7.2.6	7b0093b638c8
6.4	7.3	00be69070d91

Debian advisories