In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/bugs: Make Safe-RET robust against interrupt injection An attacker injecting… (CVE-2026-68480)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/bugs: Make Safe-RET robust against interrupt injection An attacker injecting interrupts while the Safe-RET mitigation executes on machines affected by SRSO can neutralize the safe return sequence, potentially leading to data leakage through speculative execution. Fixup register state as if the Safe-RET sequence executed successfully by "emulating" it, in a manner of speaking, and avoid executing a RET instruction after returning from the interrupt.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-68480 addresses a flaw in the Linux kernel's Safe-RET mitigation on x86 systems affected by Speculative Return Oriented (SRSO) attacks. An attacker capable of injecting interrupts while the Safe-RET mitigation executes could disrupt the safe return sequence, potentially causing speculative execution to leak data. The fix involves emulating the Safe-RET sequence during interrupt return to ensure the mitigation remains effective and to prevent executing a RET instruction after returning from the interrupt.
Potential Impact
If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to bypass the Safe-RET mitigation and potentially leak sensitive data through speculative execution side channels. However, no known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability has been resolved in the Linux kernel by implementing a fix that emulates the Safe-RET sequence upon interrupt return. Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; therefore, check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/bugs: Make Safe-RET robust against interrupt injection An attacker injecting… (CVE-2026-68480)
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/bugs: Make Safe-RET robust against interrupt injection An attacker injecting interrupts while the Safe-RET mitigation executes on machines affected by SRSO can neutralize the safe return sequence, potentially leading to data leakage through speculative execution. Fixup register state as if the Safe-RET sequence executed successfully by "emulating" it, in a manner of speaking, and avoid executing a RET instruction after returning from the interrupt.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-68480 addresses a flaw in the Linux kernel's Safe-RET mitigation on x86 systems affected by Speculative Return Oriented (SRSO) attacks. An attacker capable of injecting interrupts while the Safe-RET mitigation executes could disrupt the safe return sequence, potentially causing speculative execution to leak data. The fix involves emulating the Safe-RET sequence during interrupt return to ensure the mitigation remains effective and to prevent executing a RET instruction after returning from the interrupt.
Potential Impact
If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to bypass the Safe-RET mitigation and potentially leak sensitive data through speculative execution side channels. However, no known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability has been resolved in the Linux kernel by implementing a fix that emulates the Safe-RET sequence upon interrupt return. Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; therefore, check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-76mh-mwm6-543c
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2026-68480"]
- Ecosystems
- []
- Database Specific Severity
- null
- Cvss Version
- null
Threat ID: 6a75739dbf8831d539d91e1e
Added to database: 08/07/2026, 05:56:45 UTC
Last enriched: 08/07/2026, 08:47:48 UTC
Last updated: 08/08/2026, 00:41:15 UTC
Views: 3
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