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

KVM: Disallow toggling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on an existing memslot

Reject attempts to disable KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on a memslot that was
initially created with a guest_memfd binding, as KVM doesn't support
toggling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on existing memslots. KVM prevents enabling
KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD, but doesn't prevent clearing the flag.

Failure to reject the new memslot results in a use-after-free due to KVM
not unbinding from the guest_memfd instance. Unbinding on a FLAGS_ONLY
change is easy enough, and can/will be done as a hardening measure (in
anticipation of KVM supporting dirty logging on guest_memfd at some point),
but fixing the use-after-free would only address the immediate symptom.

==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in kvm_gmem_release+0x362/0x400 [kvm]
Write of size 8 at addr ffff8881111ae908 by task repro/745

CPU: 7 UID: 1000 PID: 745 Comm: repro Not tainted 6.18.0-rc6-115d5de2eef3-next-kasan #3 NONE
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x60
print_report+0xcb/0x5c0
kasan_report+0xb4/0xe0
kvm_gmem_release+0x362/0x400 [kvm]
__fput+0x2fa/0x9d0
task_work_run+0x12c/0x200
do_exit+0x6ae/0x2100
do_group_exit+0xa8/0x230
__x64_sys_exit_group+0x3a/0x50
x64_sys_call+0x737/0x740
do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
RIP: 0033:0x7f581f2eac31
</TASK>

Allocated by task 745 on cpu 6 at 9.746971s:
kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40
kasan_save_track+0x13/0x50
__kasan_kmalloc+0x77/0x90
kvm_set_memory_region.part.0+0x652/0x1110 [kvm]
kvm_vm_ioctl+0x14b0/0x3290 [kvm]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x129/0x1a0
do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53

Freed by task 745 on cpu 6 at 9.747467s:
kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40
kasan_save_track+0x13/0x50
__kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x50
__kasan_slab_free+0x3b/0x60
kfree+0xf5/0x440
kvm_set_memslot+0x3c2/0x1160 [kvm]
kvm_set_memory_region.part.0+0x86a/0x1110 [kvm]
kvm_vm_ioctl+0x14b0/0x3290 [kvm]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x129/0x1a0
do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
Published: 2026-01-13
Score: n/a
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6126-1 linux security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8177-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8179-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8177-2 Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8183-1 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8184-1 Linux kernel (Real-time) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8179-2 Linux kernel (FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8185-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8179-3 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8183-2 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8203-1 Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8204-1 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi Real-time) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8185-2 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8179-4 Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8245-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8257-1 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8258-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8260-1 Linux kernel (Azure FIPS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8261-1 Linux kernel (Xilinx) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8265-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:15:00 +0000


Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: Disallow toggling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on an existing memslot Reject attempts to disable KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on a memslot that was initially created with a guest_memfd binding, as KVM doesn't support toggling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on existing memslots. KVM prevents enabling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD, but doesn't prevent clearing the flag. Failure to reject the new memslot results in a use-after-free due to KVM not unbinding from the guest_memfd instance. Unbinding on a FLAGS_ONLY change is easy enough, and can/will be done as a hardening measure (in anticipation of KVM supporting dirty logging on guest_memfd at some point), but fixing the use-after-free would only address the immediate symptom. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in kvm_gmem_release+0x362/0x400 [kvm] Write of size 8 at addr ffff8881111ae908 by task repro/745 CPU: 7 UID: 1000 PID: 745 Comm: repro Not tainted 6.18.0-rc6-115d5de2eef3-next-kasan #3 NONE Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x60 print_report+0xcb/0x5c0 kasan_report+0xb4/0xe0 kvm_gmem_release+0x362/0x400 [kvm] __fput+0x2fa/0x9d0 task_work_run+0x12c/0x200 do_exit+0x6ae/0x2100 do_group_exit+0xa8/0x230 __x64_sys_exit_group+0x3a/0x50 x64_sys_call+0x737/0x740 do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 RIP: 0033:0x7f581f2eac31 </TASK> Allocated by task 745 on cpu 6 at 9.746971s: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x13/0x50 __kasan_kmalloc+0x77/0x90 kvm_set_memory_region.part.0+0x652/0x1110 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x14b0/0x3290 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x129/0x1a0 do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53 Freed by task 745 on cpu 6 at 9.747467s: kasan_save_stack+0x20/0x40 kasan_save_track+0x13/0x50 __kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x50 __kasan_slab_free+0x3b/0x60 kfree+0xf5/0x440 kvm_set_memslot+0x3c2/0x1160 [kvm] kvm_set_memory_region.part.0+0x86a/0x1110 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x14b0/0x3290 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x129/0x1a0 do_syscall_64+0x5b/0x900 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
Title KVM: Disallow toggling KVM_MEM_GUEST_MEMFD on an existing memslot
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-11T21:53:46.835Z

Reserved: 2025-12-24T10:30:51.047Z

Link: CVE-2025-68810

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2026-01-13T16:16:03.190

Modified: 2026-04-15T00:35:42.020

Link: CVE-2025-68810

cve-icon Redhat

Severity :

Publid Date: 2026-01-13T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2025-68810 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.