CVE-2026-43315 KVM: nSVM: Remove a user-triggerable WARN on nested_svm_load_cr3() succeeding
A local user can trigger a kernel warning in KVM nested SVM by manipulating CPUID, potentially causing a denial of service.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-43315?
CVE-2026-43315 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 May 2026. 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:
KVM: nSVM: Remove a user-triggerable WARN on nested_svm_load_cr3() succeeding
Drop the WARN in svm_set_nested_state() on nested_svm_load_cr3() failing as it is trivially easy to trigger from userspace by modifying CPUID after loading CR3. E.g. modifying the state restoration selftest like so:
--- tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/state_test.c +++ tools/testing/selftests/kvm/x86/state_test.c @@ -280,7 +280,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
/* Restore state in a new VM. */ vcpu = vm_recreate_with_one_vcpu(vm); - vcpu_load_state(vcpu, state); + + if (stage == 4) { + state->sregs.cr3 = BIT(44); + vcpu_load_state(vcpu, state); + + vcpu_set_cpuid_property(vcpu, X86_PROPERTY_MAX_PHY_ADDR, 36); + __vcpu_nested_state_set(vcpu, &state->nested); + } else { + vcpu_load_state(vcpu, state); + }
/* * Restore XSAVE state in a dummy vCPU, first without doing
generates:
WARNING: CPU: 30 PID: 938 at arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c:1877 svm_set_nested_state+0x34a/0x360 [kvm_amd] Modules linked in: kvm_amd kvm irqbypass [last unloaded: kvm] CPU: 30 UID: 1000 PID: 938 Comm: state_test Tainted: G W 6.18.0-rc7-58e10b63777d-next-vm Tainted: [W]=WARN Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:svm_set_nested_state+0x34a/0x360 [kvm_amd] Call Trace: <TASK> kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl+0xf33/0x1700 [kvm] kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x4e6/0x8f0 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x8f/0xd0 do_syscall_64+0x61/0xad0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
Simply delete the WARN instead of trying to prevent userspace from shoving "illegal" state into CR3. For better or worse, KVM's ABI allows userspace to set CPUID after SREGS, and vice versa, and KVM is very permissive when it comes to guest CPUID. I.e. attempting to enforce the virtual CPU model when setting CPUID could break userspace. Given that the WARN doesn't provide any meaningful protection for KVM or benefit for userspace, simply drop it even though the odds of breaking userspace are minuscule.
Opportunistically delete a spurious newline.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43315?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43315?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-43315 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43315 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-43315, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-43315, GHSA-fmhq-qfjw-fm2x, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-43315, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-43315, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-43315.