Stale MMIO cache in Linux KVM x86 misroutes SMM memory accesses
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel KVM x86 per-vCPU MMIO cache checks the wrong memslots when a vCPU runs in SMM, so it can treat accesses to valid RAM as MMIO. A local user with low privileges can trigger this, and the effect reaches beyond the guest. The VMM may then write backing RAM without KVM write tracking, which can leave nested EPT shadow translations based on old contents.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Use active memslots for the per-vCPU MMIO cache KVM tags the per-vCPU MMIO cache with a memslot generation so that a memslot update invalidates cached MMIO information. Both the fill and validation paths use kvm_memslots(), which unconditionally selects address space 0, even when the vCPU is running in SMM and using address space 1. Commit 56f17dd3fbc4 ("kvm: x86: fix stale mmio cache bug") added the memslot generation to the cache key so that a memslot update could not leave a stale entry valid. When commit 699023e23965 ("KVM: x86: add SMM to the MMU role, support SMRAM address space") added the SMM address space, these helpers were not converted to use the active memslots. Consequently, an update to the SMM memslots can leave an entry from the old SMM address space apparently valid after the vCPU returns to the normal address space. A guest can then cause an access to valid RAM at the same GFN to be returned to userspace as KVM_EXIT_MMIO. Completing that exit through the VMM's RAM address space writes the backing page without going through KVM's write-tracking path. If the page backs a nested EPT table, KVM can continue using shadow translations derived from the old contents. The WARN_ON_ONCE() in kvm_mmu_write_protect_fault() catches this invalid cache and memslot combination. Use the vCPU's active memslots when caching and validating the entry. Memslot generations are unique across address spaces, so the generation also distinguishes the normal and SMM views. This matches the MMIO SPTE cache, which already uses kvm_vcpu_memslots(). On an unpatched current-mainline kernel, a regression test that fills the cache in SMM and updates only the SMM memslots fails the intended RAM write and triggers the kvm_mmu_write_protect_fault() warning. With this change, the same test completes the RAM write without a warning. The x86/smm_test, set_memory_region_test, and memslot_modification_stress_test selftests also pass.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.58, 7.2.12 or 7.3, or to a build that includes the upstream fixing commits. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9, 10, OpenShift Container Platform 4 and OpenShift Container Platform 5 have no fix available yet.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.58, 7.2.12, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99082
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-58r9-ch9w-px7w
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-26 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-26 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@1c77d33d85786d36e56ca1b580fb55347fd65b47, Linux/Linux@445e3369ac8cc1b18aedc8e8f977c68a0a326fa9, Linux/Linux@485a5286675b15b00ee850d90eaa178cc588445f +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/485a5286675b15b00ee850d90eaa178cc588445f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/445e3369ac8cc1b18aedc8e8f977c68a0a326fa9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c77d33d85786d36e56ca1b580fb55347fd65b47
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a63f79d9da9468952396af73e1e53330845cf876
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7fd4e64f4bbc8c35ae8f0d2a1fb5b77a76d5b4fd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2566780c684c9c21241d409d790087c73070f312
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e792a9ace39d2812a5b342a1987186c7bc653204
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3e6212dea2e4328a841ceb37f377583176dc735
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99082 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99082 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-58r9-ch9w-px7w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99082 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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