Linux hwe edge: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty Fall back to… (CVE-2026-46295)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty Fall back to apic_find_highest_vector() when PID.ON is set but PIR turns out to be empty, to correctly report the highest pending interrupt from the existing IRR. In a nested VM stress test, the following WARNING fires in vmx_check_nested_events() when kvm_cpu_has_interrupt() reports a pending interrupt but the subsequent kvm_apic_has_interrupt() (which invokes vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() again) returns -1: WARNING: CPU: 99 PID: 57767 at arch/x86/kvm/vmx/nested.c:4449 vmx_check_nested_events+0x6bf/0x6e0 [kvm_intel] Call Trace: kvm_check_and_inject_events vcpu_enter_guest.constprop.0 vcpu_run kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run kvm_vcpu_ioctl __x64_sys_ioctl do_syscall_64 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe The root cause is a race between vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() on the target vCPU and __vmx_deliver_posted_interrupt() on a sender vCPU. The sender performs two individually-atomic operations that are not a single transaction: 1. pi_test_and_set_pir(vector) -- sets the PIR bit 2. pi_test_and_set_on() -- sets PID.ON The following interleaving triggers the bug: Sender vCPU (IPI): Target vCPU (1st sync_pir_to_irr): B1: set PIR[vector] A1: pi_clear_on() A2: pi_harvest_pir() -> sees B1 bit A3: xchg() -> consumes bit, PIR=0 (1st sync returns correct max_irr) B2: set PID.ON = 1 Target vCPU (2nd sync_pir_to_irr): C1: pi_test_on() -> TRUE (from B2) C2: pi_clear_on() -> ON=0 C3: pi_harvest_pir() -> PIR empty C4: *max_irr = -1, early return IRR NOT SCANNED The interrupt is not lost (it resides in the IRR from the first sync and is recovered on the next vcpu_enter_guest() iteration), but the incorrect max_irr causes a spurious WARNING and a wasted L2 VM-Enter/VM-Exit cycle.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The Linux kernel's KVM x86 component had a race condition between vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() and __vmx_deliver_posted_interrupt() on different vCPUs. This race causes an incorrect calculation of the highest pending interrupt request (max_irr), triggering a spurious WARNING in vmx_check_nested_events() and causing wasted nested VM transitions. The root cause is a non-atomic sequence of operations setting PIR bits and PID.ON flags, leading to an empty PIR scan when PID.ON is set. The interrupt itself is not lost and is recovered on the next vcpu_enter_guest() iteration.
Potential Impact
This vulnerability does not cause loss or corruption of interrupts but results in spurious kernel warnings and wasted CPU cycles due to unnecessary nested VM transitions. There is no confidentiality, integrity, or direct availability impact beyond increased CPU overhead.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is applied, administrators should be aware that the issue causes spurious warnings and performance inefficiencies but does not lead to interrupt loss or system instability.
Linux hwe edge: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty Fall back to… (CVE-2026-46295)
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Do IRR scan in __kvm_apic_update_irr even if PIR is empty Fall back to apic_find_highest_vector() when PID.ON is set but PIR turns out to be empty, to correctly report the highest pending interrupt from the existing IRR. In a nested VM stress test, the following WARNING fires in vmx_check_nested_events() when kvm_cpu_has_interrupt() reports a pending interrupt but the subsequent kvm_apic_has_interrupt() (which invokes vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() again) returns -1: WARNING: CPU: 99 PID: 57767 at arch/x86/kvm/vmx/nested.c:4449 vmx_check_nested_events+0x6bf/0x6e0 [kvm_intel] Call Trace: kvm_check_and_inject_events vcpu_enter_guest.constprop.0 vcpu_run kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run kvm_vcpu_ioctl __x64_sys_ioctl do_syscall_64 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe The root cause is a race between vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() on the target vCPU and __vmx_deliver_posted_interrupt() on a sender vCPU. The sender performs two individually-atomic operations that are not a single transaction: 1. pi_test_and_set_pir(vector) -- sets the PIR bit 2. pi_test_and_set_on() -- sets PID.ON The following interleaving triggers the bug: Sender vCPU (IPI): Target vCPU (1st sync_pir_to_irr): B1: set PIR[vector] A1: pi_clear_on() A2: pi_harvest_pir() -> sees B1 bit A3: xchg() -> consumes bit, PIR=0 (1st sync returns correct max_irr) B2: set PID.ON = 1 Target vCPU (2nd sync_pir_to_irr): C1: pi_test_on() -> TRUE (from B2) C2: pi_clear_on() -> ON=0 C3: pi_harvest_pir() -> PIR empty C4: *max_irr = -1, early return IRR NOT SCANNED The interrupt is not lost (it resides in the IRR from the first sync and is recovered on the next vcpu_enter_guest() iteration), but the incorrect max_irr causes a spurious WARNING and a wasted L2 VM-Enter/VM-Exit cycle.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.5medium
Affected software
pkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~16.04.1?arch=source&distro=xenialpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.2?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.2?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.2?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+cvm1.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.3?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.2?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.2.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bluefield/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resoluteRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The Linux kernel's KVM x86 component had a race condition between vmx_sync_pir_to_irr() and __vmx_deliver_posted_interrupt() on different vCPUs. This race causes an incorrect calculation of the highest pending interrupt request (max_irr), triggering a spurious WARNING in vmx_check_nested_events() and causing wasted nested VM transitions. The root cause is a non-atomic sequence of operations setting PIR bits and PID.ON flags, leading to an empty PIR scan when PID.ON is set. The interrupt itself is not lost and is recovered on the next vcpu_enter_guest() iteration.
Potential Impact
This vulnerability does not cause loss or corruption of interrupts but results in spurious kernel warnings and wasted CPU cycles due to unnecessary nested VM transitions. There is no confidentiality, integrity, or direct availability impact beyond increased CPU overhead.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is applied, administrators should be aware that the issue causes spurious warnings and performance inefficiencies but does not lead to interrupt loss or system instability.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- UBUNTU-CVE-2026-46295
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.7.0
- Aliases
- []
- Ecosystems
- ["Ubuntu:16.04:LTS","Ubuntu:18.04:LTS","Ubuntu:20.04:LTS","Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Nvidia-BlueField:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:Realtime:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:25.10","Ubuntu:26.04:LTS"]
- Database Specific Severity
- null
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
Threat ID: 6a5a019291ae9bcd3f805293
Added to database: 07/17/2026, 10:18:58 UTC
Last enriched: 07/20/2026, 22:32:52 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:30:20 UTC
Views: 7
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