CVE-2026-53345: Linux kernel · KVM: Don't WARN if memory is dirtied without a vCPU when the VM is dying
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 6.8.0-1066.69~22.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.8.0-1066.69~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1070.78~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1068.75~22.04.1 +39
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Jul 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A patch is available and has been released in linux-hwe-edge kernel versions 6.8.0-1066.69~22.04.1 and later. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions to resolve the issue. No additional mitigation steps are required as the fix addresses the root cause.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM subsystem related to handling memory dirtying without a running vCPU when the VM is dying has been resolved. The issue involves a WARN triggered incorrectly when marking pages dirty after the VM's reference count reaches zero, which could lead to a memory leak for x86 SEV-ES guests. The fix ensures that the WARN only triggers if the VM is still alive, preventing false positives and addressing the memory leak. This vulnerability affects specific linux-hwe-edge kernel versions and has been fixed in later releases.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-53345 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53345 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/8618004d3e897c0f1b71d9a9ab860461289bb89a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/033d39e41fc30f484f4e4f37fb4cd76b12cbb18e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/343e95c8ecc40e0738975ef4ee24c0c35e800e6b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/66a8e7ddd901023c89a2733494d827eca3f9c1b0 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8618004d3e897c0f1b71d9a9ab860461289bb89a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/99d7d43784ae3235026581e9bf892c036e04c8e6 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8726-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8727-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8728-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8760-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8726-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8726-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8800-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8760-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8728-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8726-4 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8728-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8903-1 (opens in a new tab)