CVE-2026-74439

Critical

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down scalable-mode context entry device_pasid_table_teardown() zeroes the 128-bit scalable-mode context entry with context_clear_entry() while the Present bit is still set. This creates a window where the hardware can fetch a torn entry, with some fields already zeroed while Present is still set, leading to unpredictable behavior or spurious faults. The context-cache invalidation is issued only after the entry has been zeroed, and intel_pasid_free_table() then frees the PASID directory pages, so the IOMMU can keep walking a stale Present=1 entry that points at freed memory. While x86 provides strong write ordering, the compiler may reorder the two 64-bit writes to the entry, and the hardware fetch is not guaranteed to be atomic with respect to multiple CPU writes. Commit c1e4f1dccbe9d ("iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down context entry") fixed this exact pattern in domain_context_clear_one() and the copied-context path, but device_pasid_table_teardown() was not converted. Align it with the "Guidance to Software for Invalidations" in the VT-d spec, Section 6.5.3.3, using the same ownership handshake as the sibling fix: clear only the Present bit, flush it to the IOMMU, perform the context-cache invalidation, and only then zero the rest of the entry.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-17
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

9.3

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.8.2, 6.9 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.8.2 ≥ 6.9
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.97 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.40 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-74439?

    CVE-2026-74439 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.3 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.8.2 onward and has been patched in 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5 and others. CVE-2026-74439 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-74439?

    CVE-2026-74439 has a CVSS score of 9.3 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74439?

    Yes. CVE-2026-74439 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.8.2 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-74439 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-74439 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.