{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-23402", "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Linux", "dateReserved": "2026-01-13T15:37:46.012Z", "datePublished": "2026-04-01T08:36:33.366Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-05-11T22:06:12.992Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "shortName": "Linux", "dateUpdated": "2026-05-11T22:06:12.992Z"}, "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nKVM: x86/mmu: Only WARN in direct MMUs when overwriting shadow-present SPTE\n\nAdjust KVM's sanity check against overwriting a shadow-present SPTE with a\nanother SPTE with a different target PFN to only apply to direct MMUs,\ni.e. only to MMUs without shadowed gPTEs. While it's impossible for KVM\nto overwrite a shadow-present SPTE in response to a guest write, writes\nfrom outside the scope of KVM, e.g. from host userspace, aren't detected\nby KVM's write tracking and so can break KVM's shadow paging rules.\n\n ------------[ cut here ]------------\n pfn != spte_to_pfn(*sptep)\n WARNING: arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c:3069 at mmu_set_spte+0x1e4/0x440 [kvm], CPU#0: vmx_ept_stale_r/872\n Modules linked in: kvm_intel kvm irqbypass\n CPU: 0 UID: 1000 PID: 872 Comm: vmx_ept_stale_r Not tainted 7.0.0-rc2-eafebd2d2ab0-sink-vm #319 PREEMPT\n Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015\n RIP: 0010:mmu_set_spte+0x1e4/0x440 [kvm]\n Call Trace:\n <TASK>\n ept_page_fault+0x535/0x7f0 [kvm]\n kvm_mmu_do_page_fault+0xee/0x1f0 [kvm]\n kvm_mmu_page_fault+0x8d/0x620 [kvm]\n vmx_handle_exit+0x18c/0x5a0 [kvm_intel]\n kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0xc55/0x1c20 [kvm]\n kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x2d5/0x980 [kvm]\n __x64_sys_ioctl+0x8a/0xd0\n do_syscall_64+0xb5/0x730\n entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53\n </TASK>\n ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---"}], "affected": [{"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c"], "versions": [{"version": "11d45175111d933c5175acc28e56af2213dd5cd6", "lessThan": "bab090e8fd5607f77379ea78b9d0c683cb1538a9", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "11d45175111d933c5175acc28e56af2213dd5cd6", "lessThan": "a1e0f7150639bc30a8e75476d1c7daab77d44992", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "11d45175111d933c5175acc28e56af2213dd5cd6", "lessThan": "df83746075778958954aa0460cca55f4b3fc9c02", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}]}, {"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "affected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c"], "versions": [{"version": "6.16", "status": "affected"}, {"version": "0", "lessThan": "6.16", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.18.21", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.19.11", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.19.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "7.0", "lessThanOrEqual": "*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"}]}], "cpeApplicability": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.16", "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.21"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.16", "versionEndExcluding": "6.19.11"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.16", "versionEndExcluding": "7.0"}]}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bab090e8fd5607f77379ea78b9d0c683cb1538a9"}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1e0f7150639bc30a8e75476d1c7daab77d44992"}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df83746075778958954aa0460cca55f4b3fc9c02"}], "title": "KVM: x86/mmu: Only WARN in direct MMUs when overwriting shadow-present SPTE", "x_generator": {"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"}}}}

{}

{"configurations": [{"nodes": [{"cpeMatch": [{"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "ABCE137D-81F5-4A69-BEC9-C222E10F0BAF", "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.21", "versionStartIncluding": "6.16.1", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "4CA2E747-A9EC-4518-9AA2-B4247FC748B7", "versionEndExcluding": "6.19.11", "versionStartIncluding": "6.19", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "6238B17D-C12B-458F-A138-97039BFC4595", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "F253B622-8837-4245-BCE5-A7BF8FC76A16", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "4AE85AD8-4641-4E7C-A2F4-305E2CD9EE64", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "F666C8D8-6538-46D4-B318-87610DE64C34", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "02259FDA-961B-47BC-AE7F-93D7EC6E90C2", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "58A9FEFF-C040-420D-8F0A-BFDAAA1DF258", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "1D2315C0-D46F-4F85-9754-F9E5E11374A6", "vulnerable": true}, {"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "512EE3A8-A590-4501-9A94-5D4B268D6138", "vulnerable": true}], "negate": false, "operator": "OR"}]}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nKVM: x86/mmu: Only WARN in direct MMUs when overwriting shadow-present SPTE\n\nAdjust KVM's sanity check against overwriting a shadow-present SPTE with a\nanother SPTE with a different target PFN to only apply to direct MMUs,\ni.e. only to MMUs without shadowed gPTEs. While it's impossible for KVM\nto overwrite a shadow-present SPTE in response to a guest write, writes\nfrom outside the scope of KVM, e.g. from host userspace, aren't detected\nby KVM's write tracking and so can break KVM's shadow paging rules.\n\n ------------[ cut here ]------------\n pfn != spte_to_pfn(*sptep)\n WARNING: arch/x86/kvm/mmu/mmu.c:3069 at mmu_set_spte+0x1e4/0x440 [kvm], CPU#0: vmx_ept_stale_r/872\n Modules linked in: kvm_intel kvm irqbypass\n CPU: 0 UID: 1000 PID: 872 Comm: vmx_ept_stale_r Not tainted 7.0.0-rc2-eafebd2d2ab0-sink-vm #319 PREEMPT\n Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015\n RIP: 0010:mmu_set_spte+0x1e4/0x440 [kvm]\n Call Trace:\n <TASK>\n ept_page_fault+0x535/0x7f0 [kvm]\n kvm_mmu_do_page_fault+0xee/0x1f0 [kvm]\n kvm_mmu_page_fault+0x8d/0x620 [kvm]\n vmx_handle_exit+0x18c/0x5a0 [kvm_intel]\n kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0xc55/0x1c20 [kvm]\n kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x2d5/0x980 [kvm]\n __x64_sys_ioctl+0x8a/0xd0\n do_syscall_64+0xb5/0x730\n entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53\n </TASK>\n ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---"}], "id": "CVE-2026-23402", "lastModified": "2026-04-24T15:17:03.090", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"cvssData": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH", "baseScore": 5.5, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "NONE", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "version": "3.1"}, "exploitabilityScore": 1.8, "impactScore": 3.6, "source": "nvd@nist.gov", "type": "Primary"}]}, "published": "2026-04-01T09:16:15.670", "references": [{"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"], "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1e0f7150639bc30a8e75476d1c7daab77d44992"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"], "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bab090e8fd5607f77379ea78b9d0c683cb1538a9"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"], "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df83746075778958954aa0460cca55f4b3fc9c02"}], "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "vulnStatus": "Analyzed", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "NVD-CWE-noinfo"}], "source": "nvd@nist.gov", "type": "Primary"}]}

{"bugzilla": {"description": "kernel: KVM: x86/mmu: Only WARN in direct MMUs when overwriting shadow-present SPTE", "id": "2453800", "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2453800"}, "csaw": false, "cvss3": {"cvss3_base_score": "5.5", "cvss3_scoring_vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "status": "draft"}, "cwe": "CWE-501", "details": ["A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) module. This vulnerability allows a host user to bypass KVM's memory management rules by overwriting critical memory structures. This can lead to a compromise of the virtual machine's memory integrity, potentially causing system instability or unexpected behavior within virtualized environments."], "name": "CVE-2026-23402", "package_state": [{"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10", "fix_state": "Fix deferred", "package_name": "kernel", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel-rt", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel-rt", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9"}, {"cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9", "fix_state": "Not affected", "package_name": "kernel-rt", "product_name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9"}], "public_date": "2026-04-01T00:00:00Z", "references": ["https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23402\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23402\nhttps://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026040110-CVE-2026-23402-c852@gregkh/T"], "threat_severity": "Low"}

{"affected": [{"configurations": [{"platform": null, "status": "affected", "versions": {"scheme": "code_commit", "value": "[11d45175111d933c5175acc28e56af2213dd5cd6,df83746075778958954aa0460cca55f4b3fc9c02)"}}], "enrichment": {"confidence": 99.0, "confidence_source": "inferred", "scores": [{"score": 99.0, "source": "inferred"}, {"score": 100.0, "source": "matching"}]}, "original": {"product": "Linux", "source": "cna", "vendor": "Linux"}, "product": "linux_kernel", "vendor": "linux"}, {"configurations": [{"platform": null, "status": "affected", "versions": {"scheme": "generic", "value": "6.16"}}, {"platform": null, "status": "unaffected", "versions": {"scheme": "generic", "value": "[0,6.16)"}}, {"platform": null, "status": "unaffected", "versions": {"scheme": "generic", "value": "[7.0-rc6,*]"}}], "enrichment": {"confidence": 99.0, "confidence_source": "inferred", "scores": [{"score": 99.0, "source": "inferred"}, {"score": 100.0, "source": "matching"}]}, "original": {"product": "Linux", "source": "cna", "vendor": "Linux"}, "product": "linux_kernel", "vendor": "linux"}], "analysis": {"en": {"generated_at": "2026-04-28T21:54:29.045659+00:00", "value": {"mitigation_remediation": ["Apply a kernel update that includes the KVM MMU sanity check patch", "Restrict host userspace from performing direct writes to guest page tables or shadow paging structures", "Monitor system logs for EPT/SPTE related warnings or page\u2011fault events"], "summary": {"action": "Assess Impact", "impact": "Potential corruption of KVM paging leading to integrity and availability issues"}, "threat_synthesis": {"affected_systems": "The vulnerability affects the Linux kernel\u2019s KVM implementation, notably the kvm, kvm_intel, and irqbypass modules running on kernel versions that include the recent 7.0.0-rc2 snapshot. No specific vendor version range is listed, so all kernel releases that incorporate the unpatched code are potentially impacted.", "description_and_impact": "The defect causes KVM\u2019s sanity check to apply only to direct MMUs, leaving writes from host userspace untracked. When a host user manipulates page tables outside KVM\u2019s tracking, the shadow paging rules can be violated, exposing a logical inconsistency that may manifest as memory corruption or unexpected processor faults during guest execution.", "risk_and_exploitability": "With a CVSS score of 5.5 and an EPSS probability of less than 1\u202f%, the risk is moderate and the likelihood of exploitation is low. The issue is not present in the CISA KEV catalog. Based on the description, it is inferred that the attack vector involves host\u2011level userspace performing unauthorized writes to guest page tables, which could break KVM\u2019s shadow paging state and lead to data corruption or kernel instability."}}}}, "created": "2026-04-02T07:49:42.143557+00:00", "updated": "2026-04-28T22:00:14.150942+00:00", "vendors": ["linux", "linux$PRODUCT$linux_kernel"]}