CVE-2026-80726
Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel KVM x86 MMU

Publication date: 2026-09-03

Last updated on: 2026-09-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86/mmu: WARN and clear role.invalid when creating a child shadow page Explicitly clear role.invalid when deriving a child shadow page's role from its parent to harden against bugs elsewhere in KVM, as violating KVM's invariant that invalid pages are NOT on the list of active MMU pages leads to use-after-free due to __kvm_mmu_prepare_zap_page() using list_add() instead of list_move() when processing an invalid shadow page, i.e. makes a bad situation far worse. Yell loudly if the parent is invalid, as it means KVM has missed a validity check, i.e. KVM is attempting to map memory using an invalid/obsolete root, but continue on as the child is otherwise still a valid shadow page. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __kvm_mmu_get_shadow_page+0x1817/0x1860 [kvm] Write of size 8 at addr ff11000153dd1368 by task repro/853 CPU: 1 UID: 1000 PID: 853 Comm: repro Not tainted 7.2.0-rc2-3aec122bdcaf-next-vm #5 PREEMPT Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x4b/0x70 print_report+0x153/0x49c kasan_report+0xbc/0xf0 __kvm_mmu_get_shadow_page+0x1817/0x1860 [kvm] mmu_alloc_root+0x141/0x320 [kvm] kvm_mmu_load+0x612/0x20f0 [kvm] kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x3dd5/0x6150 [kvm] kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x5e4/0x10d0 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x131/0x1b0 do_syscall_64+0x67/0x5f0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 </TASK> Allocated by task 853: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_slab_alloc+0x5f/0x70 kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0xfe/0x2e0 __kvm_mmu_topup_memory_cache+0x135/0x530 [kvm] paging64_page_fault+0x318/0x1e30 [kvm] kvm_mmu_do_page_fault+0x21d/0x630 [kvm] kvm_mmu_page_fault+0x18c/0x17b0 [kvm] kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x1f35/0x6150 [kvm] kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x5e4/0x10d0 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x131/0x1b0 do_syscall_64+0x67/0x5f0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 Freed by task 853: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x43/0x70 kmem_cache_free+0xe2/0x400 kvm_mmu_commit_zap_page.part.0+0x1e2/0x310 [kvm] kvm_mmu_free_roots+0x283/0x560 [kvm] kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x33c8/0x6150 [kvm] kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x5e4/0x10d0 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x131/0x1b0 do_syscall_64+0x67/0x5f0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-03
Last Modified
2026-09-03
Generated
2026-09-03
AI Q&A
2026-09-03
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-80726
EUVD
EUVD-2026-70330

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability in the KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) x86/mmu component. It involves a use-after-free bug caused by improper handling of invalid shadow pages in KVM's memory management. The issue occurs when a child shadow page inherits an invalid role from its parent, leading to a violation of KVM's invariant that invalid pages should not be on the active MMU pages list. This can cause memory corruption and crashes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) module. Detection requires checking kernel logs for slab-use-after-free errors related to KVM operations. Monitor dmesg or system logs for messages indicating use-after-free in __kvm_mmu_get_shadow_page or similar KVM functions.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow a local attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or potentially execute arbitrary code on the host system. It may lead to system crashes, data corruption, or unauthorized access if exploited. Systems running virtual machines with KVM on affected Linux kernels are at risk.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel security patches from your Linux distribution. If using KVM, ensure you are running a kernel version that includes the fix for this issue. Restart affected virtual machines after patching. Monitor for recurring errors in logs.

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