In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
arm64/fpsimd: signal: Allocate SSVE storage when restoring ZA
The code to restore a ZA context doesn't attempt to allocate the task's sve_state before setting TIF_SME. Consequently, restoring a ZA context can place a task into an invalid state where TIF_SME is set but the task's sve_state is NULL.
In legitimate but uncommon cases where the ZA signal context was NOT created by the kernel in the context of the same task (e.g. if the task is saved/restored with something like CRIU), we have no guarantee that sve_state had been allocated previously. In these cases, userspace can enter streaming mode without trapping while sve_state is NULL, causing a later NULL pointer dereference when the kernel attempts to store the register state:
| # ./sigreturn-za | Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 | Mem abort info: | ESR = 0x0000000096000046 | EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits | SET = 0, FnV = 0 | EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 | FSC = 0x06: level 2 translation fault | Data abort info: | ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000046, ISS2 = 0x00000000 | CM = 0, WnR = 1, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 | GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 | user pgtable: 4k pages, 52-bit VAs, pgdp=0000000101f47c00 | [0000000000000000] pgd=08000001021d8403, p4d=0800000102274403, pud=0800000102275403, pmd=0000000000000000 | Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000046 [#1] SMP | Modules linked in: | CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 153 Comm: sigreturn-za Not tainted 6.19.0-rc1 #1 PREEMPT | Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) | pstate: 214000c9 (nzCv daIF +PAN -UAO -TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) | pc : sve_save_state+0x4/0xf0 | lr : fpsimd_save_user_state+0xb0/0x1c0 | sp : ffff80008070bcc0 | x29: ffff80008070bcc0 x28: fff00000c1ca4c40 x27: 63cfa172fb5cf658 | x26: fff00000c1ca5228 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000000 | x23: 0000000000000000 x22: fff00000c1ca4c40 x21: fff00000c1ca4c40 | x20: 0000000000000020 x19: fff00000ff6900f0 x18: 0000000000000000 | x17: fff05e8e0311f000 x16: 0000000000000000 x15: 028fca8f3bdaf21c | x14: 0000000000000212 x13: fff00000c0209f10 x12: 0000000000000020 | x11: 0000000000200b20 x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : fff00000ff69dcc0 | x8 : 00000000000003f2 x7 : 0000000000000001 x6 : fff00000c1ca5b48 | x5 : fff05e8e0311f000 x4 : 0000000008000000 x3 : 0000000000000000 | x2 : 0000000000000001 x1 : fff00000c1ca5970 x0 : 0000000000000440 | Call trace: | sve_save_state+0x4/0xf0 (P) | fpsimd_thread_switch+0x48/0x198 | __switch_to+0x20/0x1c0 | __schedule+0x36c/0xce0 | schedule+0x34/0x11c | exit_to_user_mode_loop+0x124/0x188 | el0_interrupt+0xc8/0xd8 | __el0_irq_handler_common+0x18/0x24 | el0t_64_irq_handler+0x10/0x1c | el0t_64_irq+0x198/0x19c | Code: 54000040 d51b4408 d65f03c0 d503245f (e5bb5800) | ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
Fix this by having restore_za_context() ensure that the task's sve_state is allocated, matching what we do when taking an SME trap. Any live SVE/SSVE state (which is restored earlier from a separate signal context) must be preserved, and hence this is not zeroed.
CVSS Details
- CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 5.5
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon_linux_2023 | — | Upgrade kernel-libbpfUpgrade kernel6.12-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-libbpf-staticUpgrade kernel-libbpf-develUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernel6.12-tools-develUpgrade kernel-modules-extraUpgrade kernel6.12-toolsUpgrade kernel6.12-modules-extra-commonUpgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-modules-extra-commonUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.163-186.299Upgrade python3-perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernelUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel6.12-headersUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.12.68-92.122Upgrade kernel-headersUpgrade perf6.12Upgrade python3-perf6.12Upgrade kernel6.12-modules-extraUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade bpftool6.12-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool6.12Upgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel-libbpf-debuginfoUpgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-libbpf-develUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel6.12-libbpf-staticUpgrade kernel6.12-libbpf-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel6.12-develUpgrade perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-libbpfUpgrade kernel6.12Upgrade kernel-tools-devel | Mar 9, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux-6.1Upgrade linux | Feb 11, 2026 | Feb 11, 2026 |
| Oracle_linux | — | Upgrade kernel-uek | Mar 25, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 17, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-image-gke-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-ibm-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-gkeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1024-nvidia-tegraUpgrade linux-image-aws-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-117-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-oracle-6.17Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-realtime-6.17Upgrade linux-image-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oem-24.04cUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1030-oemUpgrade linux-image-gcp-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-aws-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1058-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.17Upgrade linux-image-aws-6.8Upgrade linux-image-azure-fdeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.1-1051-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-gke-6.8Upgrade linux-image-generic-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1058-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1024-nvidia-tegra-rtUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-116-fipsUpgrade linux-image-ibm-classicUpgrade linux-image-azure-6.17Upgrade linux-image-genericUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1021-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-tegra-rtUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-6.17Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1055-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1055-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-virtual-6.8Upgrade linux-image-xilinx-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-azure-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1058-gcpUpgrade linux-image-kvmUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-azureUpgrade linux-image-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-ibmUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1031-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-ibm-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-6.8Upgrade linux-image-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-117-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-oem-6.17Upgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-6.17Upgrade linux-image-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1056-raspiUpgrade linux-image-raspi-6.8Upgrade linux-image-aws-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-realtime-6.8.1Upgrade linux-image-raspi-realtime-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-tegraUpgrade linux-image-raspiUpgrade linux-image-gcp-6.17Upgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1031-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-gkeUpgrade linux-image-generic-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1019-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-generic-lpaeUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-oem-24.04aUpgrade linux-image-virtualUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-6.17Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-intel-iot-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-azure-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1056-azureUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1018-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-intel-iotgUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1055-awsUpgrade linux-image-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04dUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-azure-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-117-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-tegra-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-tegra-rt-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oracleUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1032-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-aws-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-2045-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-117-genericUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1019-oracleUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1021-gcpUpgrade linux-image-gkeop-6.8Upgrade linux-image-azure-fde-6.17Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1055-ibmUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1054-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1021-azureUpgrade linux-image-6.17.0-1018-azure-fdeUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04bUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1041-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-xilinx-zynqmpUpgrade linux-image-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1059-azureUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1059-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gcp-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp | May 25, 2026 | May 19, 2026 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | May 27, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026 |
Prioritise with Active Threat Intelligence
With curated Threat Intelligence, you can see which vulnerabilities truly put you at risk, prioritize what matters most, and act before attackers do.
Explore Intelligence Hub