KVM Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Impacting x86 Environments

CVE-2026-98863

What is CVE-2026-98863?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM module affects x86 environments, specifically when attempting to retrieve nested state pages during the KVM_RUN path. If the retrieval fails, the system may re-attempt to access vCPU, potentially leading to the mapping of stale page frame numbers (PFNs) into critical components like the vAPIC page. Although safeguards exist to clear requests upon VM exit, this vulnerability remains a concern for system integrity and security, potentially exposing systems to risks associated with improper data handling during virtualization operations.

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