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CVE-2026-98467

Linux: KVM: arm64: nv: Fix null ptr deref on nested wp/unmap, teardown race

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.17%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 5% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in970de111c087488e53cadf5480b94e0f695db985Also 3cefc1ab511fad6a0f708e7a4aee9f91346e9457, 4c74e233cdedd11592775fae2a6243e67ca3f891CVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 970de111c087488e53cadf5480b94e0f695db985LinuxCVE List
  • 3cefc1ab511fad6a0f708e7a4aee9f91346e9457LinuxCVE List
  • 4c74e233cdedd11592775fae2a6243e67ca3f891LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

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

KVM: arm64: nv: Fix null ptr deref on nested wp/unmap, teardown race

Commit 7270cc9157f4 ("KVM: arm64: nv: Handle VNCR_EL2 invalidation from MMU notifiers") introduced VNCR_EL2 invalidation in both kvm_nested_s2_unmap() and kvm_nested_s2_wp().

However at the point of this being performed concurrent stage 2 teardown of a nested guest can cause kvm->arch.mmu.pgt to be set to NULL.

This happens in kvm_flush_shadow_all() -> kvm_arch_flush_shadow_all() -> kvm_free_stage2_pgd() and is performed under the kvm->mmu_lock.

Commit ec14c272408a ("KVM: arm64: nv: Unmap/flush shadow stage 2 page tables") introduced the teardown of the entire nested MMU range, which then invokes stage2_apply_range() with resched=true:

mmu_notifier_invalidate_range_start() -> ... -> kvm_mmu_notifier_invalidate_range_start() -> kvm_mmu_unmap_gfn_range() -> kvm_unmap_gfn_range() -> kvm_nested_s2_unmap() -> kvm_stage2_unmap_range() -> __unmap_stage2_range() -> stage2_apply_range()

This means that stage2_apply_range() can drop the kvm->mmu_lock and thus concurrent progress can be made in lockstep with kvm_arch_flush_shadow_all().

If kvm_arch_flush_shadow_all() advances ahead of stage2_apply_range() and completes its operation it guarantees a NULL pointer deref.

Since kvm_free_stage2_pgd() is performed under the kvm->mmu_lock this will either be observed NULL or not and serialised against kvm_free_stage2_pgd().

Resolve the issue by abstracting the invalidation to a new function, kvm_invalidate_vncr_ipa_all(), and check that the pgt is non-NULL before dereferencing it.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 8

  • Linuxaffected: 7270cc9157f474dfc46750a34c9d7defc686b2eb before 970de111c087488e53cadf5480b94e0f695db985CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7270cc9157f474dfc46750a34c9d7defc686b2eb before 3cefc1ab511fad6a0f708e7a4aee9f91346e9457CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7270cc9157f474dfc46750a34c9d7defc686b2eb before 4c74e233cdedd11592775fae2a6243e67ca3f891CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.16CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.16CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.55 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 3