CVE-2026-89981

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled __cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw ID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has disabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5 in that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle: Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1] SMP pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264 Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task! Only pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back online: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1, while plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE. Gate the read on the CPU's own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line override applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects. The boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an unsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too.

Severity

Not scored

CVSS score

Not available

Vulnerability status

Received

Source identifier

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

Published

2026-09-16 11:17:09.037000

Last modified

2026-10-19 09:18:45.013000

View original CVE JSON

{
  "id": "CVE-2026-89981",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
  "published": "2026-09-16T11:17:09.037",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-19T09:18:45.013",
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\narm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled\n\n__cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw\nID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has\ndisabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5\nin that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle:\n\n  Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1]  SMP\n  pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264\n  Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task!\n\nOnly pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back\nonline: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1,\nwhile plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE.\n\nGate the read on the CPU's own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line\noverride applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects.\nThe boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an\nunsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "programFiles": [
            "arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h",
            "arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h",
            "arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c",
            "arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61",
              "lessThan": "d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61",
              "lessThan": "5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "programFiles": [
            "arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h",
            "arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h",
            "arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c",
            "arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "7.0",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "7.0",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.2.5",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.3",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {},
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
  ]
}