CVE-2026-80873

What the bug is

kvm_inject_el2_exception() writes ESR_EL2 for synchronous exceptions but not for SError. enter_exception64() does not write ESR_ELx for any exception type, so the constructed syndrome is dropped. A guest L2 hypervisor taking a nested SError observes stale ESR_EL2. This affects both kvm_inject_nested_serror() and the EASE path in kvm_inject_nested_sea(). Write ESR_EL2 for except_type_serror, matching except_type_sync.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

arch/arm64/kvm/emulate-nested.c

What this is

KERNEL VIRTUAL MACHINE FOR ARM64 (KVM/arm64)MAINTAINERS section matched on arch/arm64/kvm/ · linux-arm-kernel@lists.infradead.org · Maintained

Kernel module

kvm

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_KVM /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w kvm

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this, but not on every flavour. At least one release below builds the code on some of its kernel flavours and not on others, so the answer depends on the architecture and flavour installed. The build rule could not be established for 1 release, so nothing is claimed about those.

• bookworm?
• trixieBnot built on armel/rpi, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp
• forky, sidBnot built on armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae

?

not established - no Makefile entry for the affected file

B

built in on some, a module on others, absent on the rest

Where a release above reads "not established", no build rule for the affected file was found in that release's kernel tree. That is a gap in this lookup, not a finding that the code is absent.

Build switch

CONFIG_KVM

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-09-04 (44 days ago)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

0.21%, higher than 10.0% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

unimportantsource

Subsystem

arch/arm64

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
6.17	6.18.40	09f35145f3a4
6.17	7.1.5	29227821e232
6.17	7.2	e2cb1f457862