CVE-2026-72281: Linux kernel · KVM: arm64: account pKVM reclaim against the VM mm
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.6 Medium.
Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 14:04 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 9 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.11pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther 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 fix is available for this vulnerability. Users should update to patched versions of the Linux kernel that address this issue. Specific affected versions are listed and should be upgraded. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.
Description
CVE-2026-72281 is a medium severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel affecting KVM on arm64 architectures. It involves improper accounting of pKVM reclaim operations against the VM's memory management (mm), where protected guest faults incorrectly charge long-term pins to the VM's mm. This can lead to teardown operations running later with an unrelated current->mm, potentially causing resource mismanagement. The issue has been resolved by dropping the charge from kvm->mm instead.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-72281 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72281 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/d098bb75d14fde2f12155f1a95ec0168160867ce (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/34d8d7242c52c174add6b413d56420aa60f8054c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d098bb75d14fde2f12155f1a95ec0168160867ce (opens in a new tab)