In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: VMX: Fix crash due to uninitialized current_vmcs
KVM enables 'Enlightened VMCS' and 'Enlightened MSR Bitmap' when running as a nested hypervisor on top of Hyper-V. When MSR bitmap is updated, evmcs_touch_msr_bitmap function uses current_vmcs per-cpu variable to mark that the msr bitmap was changed.
vmx_vcpu_create() modifies the msr bitmap via vmx_disable_intercept_for_msr -> vmx_msr_bitmap_l01_changed which in the end calls this function. The function checks for current_vmcs if it is null but the check is insufficient because current_vmcs is not initialized. Because of this, the code might incorrectly write to the structure pointed by current_vmcs value left by another task. Preemption is not disabled, the current task can be preempted and moved to another CPU while current_vmcs is accessed multiple times from evmcs_touch_msr_bitmap() which leads to crash.
The manipulation of MSR bitmaps by callers happens only for vmcs01 so the solution is to use vmx->vmcs01.vmcs instead of current_vmcs.
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000338 PGD 4e1775067 P4D 0 Oops: 0002 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI ... RIP: 0010:vmx_msr_bitmap_l01_changed+0x39/0x50 [kvm_intel] ... Call Trace: vmx_disable_intercept_for_msr+0x36/0x260 [kvm_intel] vmx_vcpu_create+0xe6/0x540 [kvm_intel] kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x1d1/0x2e0 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu+0x178/0x430 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x53f/0x790 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x8a/0xc0 do_syscall_64+0x5c/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux Ami 2 | — | Upgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade perfUpgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-livepatch-5.15.104-63.140Upgrade kernel-livepatch-5.10.176-157.645Upgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernelUpgrade python-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-headersUpgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade python-perf | May 20, 2026 | May 20, 2026 |
| Amazon_linux_2023 | — | Upgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-libbpf-staticUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-headersUpgrade kernelUpgrade kernel-libbpf-develUpgrade bpftoolUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.19-30.43Upgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel-libbpfUpgrade bpftool-debuginfo | Jan 12, 2026 | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux | Dec 9, 2025 | Dec 9, 2025 |
| Huawei Euleros 2_0_sp13 | — | Upgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-tools-libsUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel-abi-stablelistsUpgrade kernel | Mar 10, 2026 | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-aws-5.15Upgrade linux-gkeUpgrade linux-intel-iot-realtimeUpgrade linux-gcpUpgrade linux-ibm-5.15Upgrade linux-awsUpgrade linux-nvidia-tegraUpgrade linux-nvidia-tegra-igxUpgrade linuxUpgrade linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15Upgrade linux-oracle-5.15Upgrade linux-hwe-5.15Upgrade linux-bluefieldUpgrade linux-gcp-5.15Upgrade linux-xilinx-zynqmpUpgrade linux-intel-iotgUpgrade linux-riscv-5.15Upgrade linux-intel-iotg-5.15Upgrade linux-kvmUpgrade linux-raspiUpgrade linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15Upgrade linux-azure-5.15Upgrade linux-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-oracleUpgrade linux-ibmUpgrade linux-nvidiaUpgrade linux-gkeopUpgrade linux-realtimeUpgrade linux-azure | Dec 10, 2025 | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | May 27, 2026 | Dec 8, 2025 |
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