CVE-2026-43161

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/vt-d: Skip dev-iotlb flush for inaccessible PCIe device without scalable mode PCIe endpoints with ATS enabled and passed through to userspace (e.g., QEMU, DPDK) can hard-lock the host when their link drops, either by surprise removal or by a link fault. Commit 4fc82cd907ac ("iommu/vt-d: Don't issue ATS Invalidation request when device is disconnected") adds pci_dev_is_disconnected() to devtlb_invalidation_with_pasid() so ATS invalidation is skipped only when the device is being safely removed, but it applies only when Intel IOMMU scalable mode is enabled. With scalable mode disabled or unsupported, a system hard-lock occurs when a PCIe endpoint's link drops because the Intel IOMMU waits indefinitely for an ATS invalidation that cannot complete. Call Trace: qi_submit_sync qi_flush_dev_iotlb __context_flush_dev_iotlb.part.0 domain_context_clear_one_cb pci_for_each_dma_alias device_block_translation blocking_domain_attach_dev iommu_deinit_device __iommu_group_remove_device iommu_release_device iommu_bus_notifier blocking_notifier_call_chain bus_notify device_del pci_remove_bus_device pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device pciehp_unconfigure_device pciehp_disable_slot pciehp_handle_presence_or_link_change pciehp_ist Commit 81e921fd3216 ("iommu/vt-d: Fix NULL domain on device release") adds intel_pasid_teardown_sm_context() to intel_iommu_release_device(), which calls qi_flush_dev_iotlb() and can also hard-lock the system when a PCIe endpoint's link drops. Call Trace: qi_submit_sync qi_flush_dev_iotlb __context_flush_dev_iotlb.part.0 intel_context_flush_no_pasid device_pasid_table_teardown pci_pasid_table_teardown pci_for_each_dma_alias intel_pasid_teardown_sm_context intel_iommu_release_device iommu_deinit_device __iommu_group_remove_device iommu_release_device iommu_bus_notifier blocking_notifier_call_chain bus_notify device_del pci_remove_bus_device pci_stop_and_remove_bus_device pciehp_unconfigure_device pciehp_disable_slot pciehp_handle_presence_or_link_change pciehp_ist Sometimes the endpoint loses connection without a link-down event (e.g., due to a link fault); killing the process (virsh destroy) then hard-locks the host. Call Trace: qi_submit_sync qi_flush_dev_iotlb __context_flush_dev_iotlb.part.0 domain_context_clear_one_cb pci_for_each_dma_alias device_block_translation blocking_domain_attach_dev __iommu_attach_device __iommu_device_set_domain __iommu_group_set_domain_internal iommu_detach_group vfio_iommu_type1_detach_group vfio_group_detach_container vfio_group_fops_release __fput pci_dev_is_disconnected() only covers safe-removal paths; pci_device_is_present() tests accessibility by reading vendor/device IDs and internally calls pci_dev_is_disconnected(). On a ConnectX-5 (8 GT/s, x2) this costs ~70 µs. Since __context_flush_dev_iotlb() is only called on {attach,release}_dev paths (not hot), add pci_device_is_present() there to skip inaccessible devices and avoid the hard-lock.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-05-06
Last modified 2026-05-13
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.12.19, 5.13.4, 5.14 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.77, 6.18.17, 6.19.6, 7.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.12.19 ≥ 5.13.4 ≥ 5.14
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.77 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.17 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.6 6.19.x ✓ 7.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-43161 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-43161?

    CVE-2026-43161 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.12.19 onward and has been patched in 6.12.77, 6.18.17, 6.19.6 and others. CVE-2026-43161 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-43161?

    CVE-2026-43161 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-43161?

    Yes — CVE-2026-43161 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.77, 6.18.17, 6.19.6 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.12.19 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-43161 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-43161 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.