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CVE-2026-89960

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National Vulnerability Database Information

Description: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/vfio-ap: fix stale pqap_hook pointer on error in vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm() In vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm(), kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is set to &matrix_mdev->pqap_hook before the update locks are acquired and the mdev list is checked for a conflicting assignment. If another mdev is already attached to the same KVM instance, the function returns -EPERM without restoring the hook pointer, leaving kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook pointing at the failing matrix_mdev instead of the mdev that legitimately owns the KVM. Since matrix_mdev->kvm is never set on this error path, vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() will not clean up the hook when matrix_mdev is later closed. If matrix_mdev is subsequently freed, any PQAP instruction executed by the guest will dereference the stale pointer through pqap_hook_rwsem, resulting in a use-after-free. Since kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is only set in the vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm() function and is cleared in the vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() function, a check for 'kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook != NULL' is all that is needed to determine whether it belongs to another mdev. This will alleviate the need to iterate the matrix_dev->mdev_list list to see if the kvm object is assigned to another mdev.This was introduced in v3 to alleviate the need to take the mdevs_lock while iterating the list; however, this did not prevent a potential race condition. The pqap_hook_rwsem(write) is now performed inside get_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to acquire pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between kvm->lock and mdevs_lock. This ordering is consistent with the PQAP intercept path, which acquires pqap_hook_rwsem in read mode while srcu is held under vcpu->mutex, establishing the dependency: kvm->lock -> vcpu->mutex -> srcu -> pqap_hook_rwsem(read). The pqap_hook_rwsem is now released inside the release_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to release pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between mdevs_lock and kvm->lock. Additionally, kvm_put_kvm() in vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() is moved after release_update_locks_for_kvm(). Previously it was called while kvm->lock was held; if it were ever the last reference, kvm_destroy_vm() would run under kvm->lock, which would deadlock.

CVSS Base Score: 8.8 (v3.1)

The CVSS Base Score is a score from 0 to 10 that represents the intrinsic severity of a vulnerability. A higher score indicates greater severity.

Value
0.02.55.07.510.0
Published on: 09/16/2026 11:17:06
Last modified: 09/16/2026 15:18:20
NIST: CVE source from the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)

CVSS Metrics Details

  • Base Severity: HIGH
  • Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Attack Vector: LOCAL
  • Attack Complexity: LOW
  • Privileges Required: LOW
  • User Interaction: NONE
  • Scope: CHANGED
  • Confidentiality Impact: HIGH
  • Integrity Impact: HIGH
  • Availability Impact: HIGH

FIRST Information

EPSS Score: 0.0016

The EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a score from 0 to 1 that indicates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the real world in the next 30 days. A higher value indicates a greater likelihood of exploitation.

Value
0.00.250.50.751.0

Percentile: 0.0547

The Percentile indicates how much higher this vulnerability's EPSS score is compared to all other vulnerabilities in the EPSS database. For example, a percentile of 0.90 (90%) means that 90% of vulnerabilities have an EPSS score equal to or lower than the current one.

Value
0.00.250.50.751.0

*Data updated as of: 2026-09-18


CISA Information (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)

The CISA KEV Catalog lists vulnerabilities that have been actively exploited in the real world. If a CVE is present in this catalog, it indicates that the threat is immediate and mitigation should be a top priority.

CVE CVE-2026-89960 is not present in the CISA KEV Catalog. This indicates that it is not currently classified by CISA as an actively exploited vulnerability.


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Exploit PoC from GitHub

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