CVE-2026-74580
Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel vhost

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-74580, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-21

Last updated on: 2026-08-21

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vhost: reset the vring metadata cache on vring reconfiguration vq->meta_iotlb[] caches the vhost_iotlb_map that backs each vring metadata region, and iotlb_access_ok() returns early on a cache hit, taking the hit as proof that the region has already been validated: if (vhost_vq_meta_fetch(vq, addr, len, type)) return true; The cache is reset on VHOST_IOTLB_UPDATE and VHOST_IOTLB_INVALIDATE, on device IOTLB (re)initialisation and on vq reset, but not when VHOST_SET_VRING_ADDR replaces vq->desc, vq->avail and vq->used, nor when VHOST_SET_VRING_NUM changes the region sizes. With a device IOTLB attached both ioctls are accepted while the vq is live, and neither validates the addresses at ioctl time: vq_access_ok() and vq_log_used_access_ok() return true early because the addresses are GIOVAs, deferring validation to prefetch time. Once the cache has been populated that deferred validation no longer runs -- vq_meta_prefetch() hits the stale entry and returns true -- and vhost_vq_meta_fetch() keeps translating through the old mapping as map->addr + addr - map->start for an address the mapping no longer covers. vhost_copy_to_user() and vhost_copy_from_user() consume the result with __copy_to_user() and __copy_from_user(), which do not check it either, so a subsequent used ring update or descriptor fetch accesses memory outside the region the IOTLB actually maps. Reset the metadata cache whenever the vring is reconfigured, so the new addresses are pushed back through iotlb_access_ok()'s slow path.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-21
Last Modified
2026-08-21
Generated
2026-08-21
AI Q&A
2026-08-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper handling of vring metadata cache during vring reconfiguration. The vq->meta_iotlb[] cache stores mappings for vring metadata regions. When VHOST_SET_VRING_ADDR or VHOST_SET_VRING_NUM ioctls reconfigure the vring, the cache is not reset, leading to stale mappings. This allows memory access outside the intended region, potentially causing data corruption or unauthorized memory access.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's vhost driver and requires kernel-level detection. Check kernel logs for vhost-related errors or warnings using commands like dmesg | grep vhost or journalctl -k | grep vhost. Monitor for unexpected memory access patterns or crashes in virtualization environments.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to read or write memory outside the intended vring regions. This may lead to data leaks, privilege escalation, or denial of service. Systems using virtualization with vhost devices are particularly at risk if the vulnerable ioctls are accessible to untrusted users.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patches from your Linux distribution to resolve this issue. If immediate patching is not possible, disable vhost devices or restrict access to virtualization features until the patch is applied. Monitor vendor advisories for updates.

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