CVE-2026-89960
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
s390/vfio-ap: fix stale pqap_hook pointer on error in vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm()
In vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm(), kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is set to &matrix_mdev->pqap_hook before the update locks are acquired and the mdev list is checked for a conflicting assignment. If another mdev is already attached to the same KVM instance, the function returns -EPERM without restoring the hook pointer, leaving kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook pointing at the failing matrix_mdev instead of the mdev that legitimately owns the KVM.
Since matrix_mdev->kvm is never set on this error path, vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() will not clean up the hook when matrix_mdev is later closed.
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If matrix_mdev is subsequently freed, any PQAP instruction executed by the guest will dereference the stale pointer through pqap_hook_rwsem, resulting in a use-after-free.
Since kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is only set in the vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm() function and is cleared in the vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() function, a check for 'kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook != NULL' is all that is needed to determine whether it belongs to another mdev. This will alleviate the need to iterate the matrix_dev->mdev_list list to see if the kvm object is assigned to another mdev.This was introduced in v3 to alleviate the need to take the mdevs_lock while iterating the list; however, this did not prevent a potential race condition.
The pqap_hook_rwsem(write) is now performed inside get_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to acquire pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between kvm->lock and mdevs_lock. This ordering is consistent with the PQAP intercept path, which acquires pqap_hook_rwsem in read mode while srcu is held under vcpu->mutex, establishing the dependency: kvm->lock -> vcpu->mutex -> srcu -> pqap_hook_rwsem(read).
The pqap_hook_rwsem is now released inside the release_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to release pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between mdevs_lock and kvm->lock.
Additionally, kvm_put_kvm() in vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() is moved after release_update_locks_for_kvm(). Previously it was called while kvm->lock was held; if it were ever the last reference, kvm_destroy_vm() would run under kvm->lock, which would deadlock.
CVSS
- Versión: 3.1
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Puntuación base: 8.8
Probabilidad de explotación (EPSS)
- Probabilidad de explotación en los próximos 30 días: 0.17%
- Percentil entre todas las CVEs puntuadas: 6
- Fecha de la puntuación: 6/10/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, de FIRST) estima la probabilidad de que una vulnerabilidad sea explotada en 30 días. Complementa a CVSS (impacto) y a CISA KEV (explotación confirmada).
🎯 Técnicas ATT&CK
Cómo se explota esta vulnerabilidad y qué consigue el atacante, en el lenguaje de MITRE ATT&CK.
- Explotación
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation85 % - Impacto principal
T1499.004Application or System Exploitationimpact75 % - Impacto secundario
T1565.001Stored Data Manipulationimpact65 %
Vulnerabilidad de escalada local (AV:L, PR:L) en kernel Linux con use-after-free por puntero obsoleto. Permite DoS por desreferencia en PQAP y corrupción de memoria del KVM.
Inferido por nuestro agente de análisis a partir de la descripción oficial, el vector CVSS y la CWE, y comprobado por un supervisor. Puede contener errores.
🛡️ Mitigaciones ATT&CK que cubren estas técnicas
Tecnologías afectadas (1)
⚠ Inferidas por IA a partir de la descripción — NVD aún no ha analizado esta CVE; no son CPE verificados.
Referencias
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13bfc94eef389bd664ffc67b00184919902c938a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4400270ec0348d05dc0439d8f0130853ce7f9e20
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a180adafc2a8a5fbe815985c71b2201e93ab5e1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb6cc898501a004c0fa8aab951351d9c959b91cc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc069d00a0dbef40042fd681554d48dcd5a1d524
JSON original (NVD)
Mostrar
{
"id": "CVE-2026-89960",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"type": "Secondary",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"cvssData": {
"scope": "CHANGED",
"version": "3.1",
"baseScore": 8.8,
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"integrityImpact": "HIGH",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
},
"impactScore": 6,
"exploitabilityScore": 2
}
]
},
"affected": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"affectedData": [
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "86956e70761b3292156d668e87126844334dd71b",
"lessThan": "eb6cc898501a004c0fa8aab951351d9c959b91cc",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "86956e70761b3292156d668e87126844334dd71b",
"lessThan": "6a180adafc2a8a5fbe815985c71b2201e93ab5e1",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "86956e70761b3292156d668e87126844334dd71b",
"lessThan": "fc069d00a0dbef40042fd681554d48dcd5a1d524",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "86956e70761b3292156d668e87126844334dd71b",
"lessThan": "13bfc94eef389bd664ffc67b00184919902c938a",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "86956e70761b3292156d668e87126844334dd71b",
"lessThan": "4400270ec0348d05dc0439d8f0130853ce7f9e20",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "5.15"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "5.15",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.6.157",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.110",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.51",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.5",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3-rc1",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]
}
],
"published": "2026-09-16T11:17:06.437",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13bfc94eef389bd664ffc67b00184919902c938a",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4400270ec0348d05dc0439d8f0130853ce7f9e20",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a180adafc2a8a5fbe815985c71b2201e93ab5e1",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb6cc898501a004c0fa8aab951351d9c959b91cc",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc069d00a0dbef40042fd681554d48dcd5a1d524",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Received",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ns390/vfio-ap: fix stale pqap_hook pointer on error in vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm()\n\nIn vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm(), kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is set to\n&matrix_mdev->pqap_hook before the update locks are acquired and the\nmdev list is checked for a conflicting assignment. If another mdev is\nalready attached to the same KVM instance, the function returns -EPERM\nwithout restoring the hook pointer, leaving kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook\npointing at the failing matrix_mdev instead of the mdev that legitimately\nowns the KVM.\n\nSince matrix_mdev->kvm is never set on this error path,\nvfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() will not clean up the hook when matrix_mdev\nis later closed. If matrix_mdev is subsequently freed, any PQAP\ninstruction executed by the guest will dereference the stale pointer\nthrough pqap_hook_rwsem, resulting in a use-after-free.\n\nSince kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is only set in the vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm()\nfunction and is cleared in the vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() function, a check\nfor 'kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook != NULL' is all that is needed to determine\nwhether it belongs to another mdev. This will alleviate the need to iterate\nthe matrix_dev->mdev_list list to see if the kvm object is assigned to\nanother mdev.This was introduced in v3 to alleviate the need to take the\nmdevs_lock while iterating the list; however, this did not prevent a\npotential race condition.\n\nThe pqap_hook_rwsem(write) is now performed inside\nget_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to acquire\npqap_hook_rwsem(write) between kvm->lock and mdevs_lock. This ordering\nis consistent with the PQAP intercept path, which acquires pqap_hook_rwsem\nin read mode while srcu is held under vcpu->mutex, establishing the\ndependency: kvm->lock -> vcpu->mutex -> srcu -> pqap_hook_rwsem(read).\n\nThe pqap_hook_rwsem is now released inside the\nrelease_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to release\npqap_hook_rwsem(write) between mdevs_lock and kvm->lock.\n\nAdditionally, kvm_put_kvm() in vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() is moved\nafter release_update_locks_for_kvm(). Previously it was called while\nkvm->lock was held; if it were ever the last reference, kvm_destroy_vm()\nwould run under kvm->lock, which would deadlock."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-09-16T15:18:20.560",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}