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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-53061

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available 8 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm cache: fix dirty mapping checking in passthrough mode switching As mentioned in commit 9b1cc9f251af ("dm cache: share cache-metadata object across inactive and active DM tables"), dm-cache assumed table reload occurs after suspension, while LVM's table preload breaks this assumption. The dirty mapping check for passthrough mode was designed around this assumption and is performed during table creation, causing the check to fail with preload while metadata updates are ongoing. This risks loading dirty mappings into passthrough mode, resulting in data loss. Reproduce steps: 1. Create a writeback cache with zero migration_threshold to produce dirty mappings dmsetup create cmeta --table "0 8192 linear /dev/sdc 0" dmsetup create cdata --table "0 131072 linear /dev/sdc 8192" dmsetup create corig --table "0 262144 linear /dev/sdc 262144" dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mapper/cmeta bs=4k count=1 oflag=direct dmsetup create cache --table "0 262144 cache /dev/mapper/cmeta \ /dev/mapper/cdata /dev/mapper/corig 128 2 metadata2 writeback smq \ 2 migration_threshold 0" 2. Preload a table in passthrough mode dmsetup reload cache --table "0 262144 cache /dev/mapper/cmeta \ /dev/mapper/cdata /dev/mapper/corig 128 2 metadata2 passthrough smq 0" 3. Write to the first cache block to make it dirty fio --filename=/dev/mapper/cache --name=populate --rw=write --bs=4k \ --direct=1 --size=64k 4. Resume the inactive table. Now it's possible to load the dirty block into passthrough mode. dmsetup resume cache Fix by moving the checks to the preresume phase to support table preloading. Also remove the unused function dm_cache_metadata_all_clean.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In dm-cache (device mapper cache), a dirty mapping check for passthrough mode was performed during table creation, which fails when LVM performs table preloading (loading a table before resuming the device). This allows dirty mappings to be loaded into passthrough mode, risking data loss. The fix moves these checks to the preresume phase to support table preloading.

MitigationApply the kernel patch to move dirty mapping checks to the preresume phase, or update to a kernel version containing this fix. Avoid using LVM table preloading with dm-cache passthrough mode until the fix is applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 3.13, < 5.10.258>= 5.11, < 5.15.209>= 5.16, < 6.1.175>= 6.2, < 6.6.141>= 6.7, < 6.12.91>= 6.13, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check kernel version against affected ranges
    Run 'uname -a' or 'cat /proc/version' to obtain the running kernel version. Compare it to the affected ranges: >= 3.13, < 5.10.258; >= 5.11, < 5.15.209; >= 5.16, < 6.1.175; >= 6.2, < 6.6.141; >= 6.7, < 6.12.91; >= 6.13, < 6.18.33; >= 6.19, < 7.0.10
    Affected if The kernel version falls within any of the listed affected ranges and the system uses dm-cache functionality
  2. Verify dm-cache module is loaded
    Run 'lsmod | grep dm_cache' or check '/sys/module/' for the dm_cache module presence. Also check if device-mapper cache targets are available via 'dmsetup targets | grep cache'
    Affected if The dm_cache module is loaded and the kernel version is in the affected range
  3. Identify active dm-cache devices in passthrough mode
    Run 'dmsetup status' and look for cache devices showing 'passthrough' or 'p' mode in the status output. Also use 'dmsetup table' to list all device-mapper devices and identify cache target types
    Affected if Any active cache devices are operating in passthrough mode on an affected kernel
  4. Check for recent cache table loads during metadata operations
    Review system logs (dmesg, /var/log/messages) for LVM cache operations, particularly 'lvm cache' or 'dmsetup load' commands that may indicate table preloading while metadata was being updated
    Affected if Logs show cache table loads performed while metadata updates were in progress, on an affected kernel version

The system is affected if it runs a kernel version within the specified ranges AND has active dm-cache devices operating in passthrough mode, particularly if table preloading operations occurred during active metadata updates.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 / 6.1.175 or later
Fixed in 5.10.2585.15.2096.1.175
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Interim mitigation

Apply the kernel patch to move dirty mapping checks to the preresume phase, or update to a kernel version containing this fix. Avoid using LVM table preloading with dm-cache passthrough mode until the fix is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

Kernel version >= 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, or 6.6.141 depending on your current branch (or any 6.7+)

  1. 1. Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. 2. Determine which version branch your kernel falls into (5.10.x, 5.11-5.15.x, 5.16-6.1.x, or 6.2-6.6.x)
  3. 3. For 5.10.x branch: upgrade to kernel version 5.10.258 or later
  4. 4. For 5.11-5.15.x branch: upgrade to kernel version 5.15.209 or later
  5. 5. For 5.16-6.1.x branch: upgrade to kernel version 6.1.175 or later
  6. 6. For 6.2-6.6.x branch: upgrade to kernel version 6.6.141 or later
  7. 7. For kernels >= 6.7: verify the fix is included by checking the kernel release notes or changelog; versions 6.7 and later include the fix
  8. 8. After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the patched kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with out-of-tree drivers or modules; ensure dependent systems are compatible before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

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Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-53061 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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