CVE-2026-23198: KVM: Don't clobber irqfd routing type when deassigning irqfd
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: Don't clobber irqfd routing type when deassigning irqfd
When deassigning a KVM_IRQFD, don't clobber the irqfd's copy of the IRQ's
routing entry as doing so breaks kvm_arch_irq_bypass_del_producer() on x86
and arm64, which explicitly look for KVM_IRQ_ROUTING_MSI. Instead, to
handle a concurrent routing update, verify that the irqfd is still active
before consuming the routing information. As evidenced by the x86 and
arm64 bugs, and another bug in kvm_arch_update_irqfd_routing() (see below),
clobbering the entry type without notifying arch code is surprising and
error prone.
As a bonus, checking that the irqfd is active provides a convenient
location for documenting _why_ KVM must not consume the routing entry for
an irqfd that is in the process of being deassigned: once the irqfd is
deleted from the list (which happens *before* the eventfd is detached), it
will no longer receive updates via kvm_irq_routing_update(), and so KVM
could deliver an event using stale routing information (relative to
KVM_SET_GSI_ROUTING returning to userspace).
As an even better bonus, explicitly checking for the irqfd being active
fixes a similar bug to the one the clobbering is trying to prevent: if an
irqfd is deactivated, and then its routing is changed,
kvm_irq_routing_update() won't invoke kvm_arch_update_irqfd_routing()
(because the irqfd isn't in the list). And so if the irqfd is in bypass
mode, IRQs will continue to be posted using the old routing information.
As for kvm_arch_irq_bypass_del_producer(), clobbering the routing type
results in KVM incorrectly keeping the IRQ in bypass mode, which is
especially problematic on AMD as KVM tracks IRQs that are being posted to
a vCPU in a list whose lifetime is tied to the irqfd.
Without the help of KASAN to detect use-after-free, the most common
sympton on AMD is a NULL pointer deref in amd_iommu_update_ga() due to
the memory for irqfd structure being re-allocated and zeroed, resulting
in irqfd->irq_bypass_data being NULL when read by
avic_update_iommu_vcpu_affinity():
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000018
#PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
#PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
PGD 40cf2b9067 P4D 40cf2b9067 PUD 408362a067 PMD 0
Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP
CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 40383 Comm: vfio_irq_test
Tainted: G U W O 6.19.0-smp--5dddc257e6b2-irqfd #31 NONE
Tainted: [U]=USER, [W]=WARN, [O]=OOT_MODULE
Hardware name: Google, Inc. Arcadia_IT_80/Arcadia_IT_80, BIOS 34.78.2-0 09/05/2025
RIP: 0010:amd_iommu_update_ga+0x19/0xe0
Call Trace:
<TASK>
avic_update_iommu_vcpu_affinity+0x3d/0x90 [kvm_amd]
__avic_vcpu_load+0xf4/0x130 [kvm_amd]
kvm_arch_vcpu_load+0x89/0x210 [kvm]
vcpu_load+0x30/0x40 [kvm]
kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x45/0x620 [kvm]
kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x571/0x6a0 [kvm]
__se_sys_ioctl+0x6d/0xb0
do_syscall_64+0x6f/0x9d0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
RIP: 0033:0x46893b
</TASK>
---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
If AVIC is inhibited when the irfd is deassigned, the bug will manifest as
list corruption, e.g. on the next irqfd assignment.
list_add corruption. next->prev should be prev (ffff8d474d5cd588),
but was 0000000000000000. (next=ffff8d8658f86530).
------------[ cut here ]------------
kernel BUG at lib/list_debug.c:31!
Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP
CPU: 128 UID: 0 PID: 80818 Comm: vfio_irq_test
Tainted: G U W O 6.19.0-smp--f19dc4d680ba-irqfd #28 NONE
Tainted: [U]=USER, [W]=WARN, [O]=OOT_MODULE
Hardware name: Google, Inc. Arcadia_IT_80/Arcadia_IT_80, BIOS 34.78.2-0 09/05/2025
RIP: 0010:__list_add_valid_or_report+0x97/0xc0
Call Trace:
<TASK>
avic_pi_update_irte+0x28e/0x2b0 [kvm_amd]
kvm_pi_update_irte+0xbf/0x190 [kvm]
kvm_arch_irq_bypass_add_producer+0x72/0x90 [kvm]
irq_bypass_register_consumer+0xcd/0x170 [irqbypa
---truncated---
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux KVM flaw can leave interrupt routing in an unsafe state while a virtual device interrupt is removed or changed. This may trigger kernel memory corruption or crashes, disrupting virtualization hosts. AMD systems using AVIC are specifically highlighted, although affected logic also exists on x86 and arm64.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority virtualization-host update, especially where untrusted tenants or device passthrough are present. Schedule controlled kernel patching promptly because failure can crash hosts and affect multiple workloads. Emergency internet-edge action is not supported by the supplied evidence.
Technical view
During KVM_IRQFD deassignment, KVM could overwrite the cached routing type or consume stale routing data during concurrent updates. IRQ bypass teardown then fails, potentially retaining references beyond the irqfd lifetime. Reported outcomes include use-after-free, NULL-pointer dereference, list corruption, and continued interrupt delivery through obsolete routing.
Likely exposure
Exposure is concentrated on Linux virtualization hosts using KVM irqfd routing and IRQ bypass, including configurations involving VFIO. AMD AVIC has documented severe failure modes; x86 and arm64 paths are implicated. The supplied version data is ambiguous, so kernel build and fix-commit verification are necessary.
Exploitation context
The CVSS assessment is 7.8 with local access and low privileges required. No CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation is supplied. The sources demonstrate reproducible kernel crashes and memory-safety failures, but do not establish practical privilege escalation or attacks in the wild.
Researcher notes
The core invariant is that routing information must not be consumed after irqfd deactivation because routing updates no longer reach the removed list entry. The correction preserves routing type for architecture teardown and checks active state before use. Reported AMD manifestations depend on AVIC state and include stale bypass references, UAF, NULL dereference, and list corruption.
Mitigation direction
Apply a vendor-supported kernel containing the applicable referenced stable fix.
Prioritize KVM hosts using VFIO, IRQ bypass, or AMD AVIC.
Consult distribution advisories to map packaged kernel versions to fix commits.
Restrict untrusted access to local virtualization-management interfaces pending remediation.
Validation and detection
Inventory KVM host kernels, architectures, and IRQ-bypass or VFIO usage.
Confirm the running kernel contains the applicable stable fix commit.
Review kernel logs for KVM, amd_iommu_update_ga, NULL dereferences, or list corruption.
Reboot into the corrected kernel and verify the running version.
Use vendor-approved regression testing for irqfd assignment, routing changes, and deassignment.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
8Source links
SSVC decision data
CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total
CVSS vector scores
1 official score
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