CVE-2026-46295

KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: June 8, 2026 at 03:46 PM UTC
Updated: July 23, 2026 at 07:32 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.1%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty Fall back to apic_find_highest_vector() when PID.ON is set but PIR turns out to be empty, to correctly report the highest pending interrupt from the existing IRR. In a nested VM stress test, the following WARNING fires in vmx_check_nested_events() when kvm_cpu_has_interrupt() reports a pending interrupt but the subsequent kvm_apic_has_interrupt() (which invokes vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() again) returns -1: WARNING: CPU: 99 PID: 57767 at arch/x86/kvm/vmx/nested.c:4449 vmx_check_nested_events+0x6bf/0x6e0 [kvm_intel] Call Trace: kvm_check_and_inject_events vcpu_enter_guest.constprop.0 vcpu_run kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run kvm_vcpu_ioctl __x64_sys_ioctl do_syscall_64 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe The root cause is a race between vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() on the target vCPU and __vmx_deliver_posted_interrupt() on a sender vCPU. The sender performs two individually-atomic operations that are not a single transaction: 1. pi_test_and_set_pir(vector) -- sets the PIR bit 2. pi_test_and_set_on() -- sets PID.ON The following interleaving triggers the bug: Sender vCPU (IPI): Target vCPU (1st sync_pir_to_irr): B1: set PIR[vector] A1: pi_clear_on() A2: pi_harvest_pir() -> sees B1 bit A3: xchg() -> consumes bit, PIR=0 (1st sync returns correct max_irr) B2: set PID.ON = 1 Target vCPU (2nd sync_pir_to_irr): C1: pi_test_on() -> TRUE (from B2) C2: pi_clear_on() -> ON=0 C3: pi_harvest_pir() -> PIR empty C4: *max_irr = -1, early return IRR NOT SCANNED The interrupt is not lost (it resides in the IRR from the first sync and is recovered on the next vcpu_enter_guest() iteration), but the incorrect max_irr causes a spurious WARNING and a wasted L2 VM-Enter/VM-Exit cycle.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

6.16 ≤ v < 6.18.306.16 ≤ v < 7.0.76.16 ≤ v < 7.16.19 ≤ v < 7.0.77.1 rc17.1 rc2b41f8638b9d30fbe045b4ef83ff4136c56a57397
Vendor states this is fixed in 33fd0ccd2590b470b65adcca288615ad3b5e3e06 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4b6b06a8b12bfd95f9015074b1430c1480908073 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in bb1703949dcaa9a49c338dee075f659f4634214d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.16 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.30 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.0.7 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.1 (unaffected)

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
NVD-CWE-noinfo

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