CVE-2026-98927

KVM: arm64: nv: Fix life cycle of the nested_mmus array

Published Oct 23, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: arm64: nv: Fix life cycle of the nested_mmus array

The nested_mmus array holds the shadow page tables that are used when
a guest is running a nested context. These structures are allocated on
VCPU_INIT for whole guest, which implies that they may have to be
relocated as the array grows.

Should a VCPU_INIT occur whilst a vcpu is actively running an L2 and
that the allocation requires relocation, that vcpu will still be
running with a pointer to the previous structure, which will have been
freed.

Fix this by turning the array of structures to an array of pointers,
which is now allocated at VM creation, sized to the absolute maximum
that KVM can handle.

In turn, each VCPU_INIT contributes S2_MMU_PER_VCPU to the pool. No
reallocation is ever performed, and the life cycle of each object is
much clearer:

- the nested_mmus array is allocated in kvm_init_nested(), and freed
in kvm_arch_destroy_vm()

- s2_mmu structures are allocated in kvm_vcpu_init_nested(), and freed
on kvm_arch_flush_shadow_all()

Finally, the freeing of vcpu->arch.vncr_array is made consistent
rather than being done on some failure paths, but not others.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux linux
Vendors & Products Linux linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: arm64: nv: Fix life cycle of the nested_mmus array The nested_mmus array holds the shadow page tables that are used when a guest is running a nested context. These structures are allocated on VCPU_INIT for whole guest, which implies that they may have to be relocated as the array grows. Should a VCPU_INIT occur whilst a vcpu is actively running an L2 and that the allocation requires relocation, that vcpu will still be running with a pointer to the previous structure, which will have been freed. Fix this by turning the array of structures to an array of pointers, which is now allocated at VM creation, sized to the absolute maximum that KVM can handle. In turn, each VCPU_INIT contributes S2_MMU_PER_VCPU to the pool. No reallocation is ever performed, and the life cycle of each object is much clearer: - the nested_mmus array is allocated in kvm_init_nested(), and freed in kvm_arch_destroy_vm() - s2_mmu structures are allocated in kvm_vcpu_init_nested(), and freed on kvm_arch_flush_shadow_all() Finally, the freeing of vcpu->arch.vncr_array is made consistent rather than being done on some failure paths, but not others.
Title KVM: arm64: nv: Fix life cycle of the nested_mmus array
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 24, 2026, 2:09 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 23, 2026, 1:17 PM
Modified
Oct 24, 2026, 2:16 PM
Severity
Important
Public date
Oct 23, 2026, 12:00 AM