# CVE-2024-26670: arm64: entry: fix ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD

> Incorrect placement of speculative load workaround in Linux kernel allows potential information disclosure or privilege escalation on affected ARM cores.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-26670, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-26670, GHSA-vpp3-8c88-m6w7, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2024-26670, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-26670

## What is CVE-2024-26670?

CVE-2024-26670 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Apr 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

arm64: entry: fix ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD

Currently the ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD workaround isn't
quite right, as it is supposed to be applied after the last explicit
memory access, but is immediately followed by an LDR.

The ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD workaround is used to
handle Cortex-A520 erratum 2966298 and Cortex-A510 erratum 3117295,
which are described in:

* https://developer.arm.com/documentation/SDEN2444153/0600/?lang=en
* https://developer.arm.com/documentation/SDEN1873361/1600/?lang=en

In both cases the workaround is described as:

| If pagetable isolation is disabled, the context switch logic in the
| kernel can be updated to execute the following sequence on affected
| cores before exiting to EL0, and after all explicit memory accesses:
|
| 1. A non-shareable TLBI to any context and/or address, including
|    unused contexts or addresses, such as a `TLBI VALE1 Xzr`.
|
| 2. A DSB NSH to guarantee completion of the TLBI.

The important part being that the TLBI+DSB must be placed "after all
explicit memory accesses".

Unfortunately, as-implemented, the TLBI+DSB is immediately followed by
an LDR, as we have:

| alternative_if ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD
| 	tlbi	vale1, xzr
| 	dsb	nsh
| alternative_else_nop_endif
| alternative_if_not ARM64_UNMAP_KERNEL_AT_EL0
| 	ldr	lr, [sp, #S_LR]
| 	add	sp, sp, #PT_REGS_SIZE		// restore sp
| 	eret
| alternative_else_nop_endif
|
| [ ... KPTI exception return path ... ]

This patch fixes this by reworking the logic to place the TLBI+DSB
immediately before the ERET, after all explicit memory accesses.

The ERET is currently in a separate alternative block, and alternatives
cannot be nested. To account for this, the alternative block for
ARM64_UNMAP_KERNEL_AT_EL0 is replaced with a single alternative branch
to skip the KPTI logic, with the new shape of the logic being:

| alternative_insn "b .L_skip_tramp_exit_\@", nop, ARM64_UNMAP_KERNEL_AT_EL0
| 	[ ... KPTI exception return path ... ]
| .L_skip_tramp_exit_\@:
|
| 	ldr	lr, [sp, #S_LR]
| 	add	sp, sp, #PT_REGS_SIZE		// restore sp
|
| alternative_if ARM64_WORKAROUND_SPECULATIVE_UNPRIV_LOAD
| 	tlbi	vale1, xzr
| 	dsb	nsh
| alternative_else_nop_endif
| 	eret

The new structure means that the workaround is only applied when KPTI is
not in use; this is fine as noted in the documented implications of the
erratum:

| Pagetable isolation between EL0 and higher level ELs prevents the
| issue from occurring.

... and as per the workaround description quoted above, the workaround
is only necessary "If pagetable isolation is disabled".

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-26670?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-26670?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-26670 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26670 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-26670 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-26670 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 2 Apr 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26670 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26670/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26670/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26670
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26670
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-26670

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26670/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.