CVE-2025-40026
Description
A flaw was found in the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) for x86. This vulnerability occurs when KVM incorrectly re-checks Level 1 (L1) intercepts during the completion of userspace I/O emulation for a Level 2 (L2) instruction. If the L1 or host userspace modifies I/O interception settings during this process, KVM may misinterpret already-emulated I/O as intercepted. This can lead to a kernel warning and potentially disrupt the guest virtual machine, resulting in a denial of service. Exploitation requires local access to /dev/kvm and the ability to perform nested virtualization or manipulate I/O bitmaps.
Statement
KVM x86 was re-checking L1 instruction intercepts while completing a userspace I/O emulation for an L2 instruction. If L1 (or host userspace) modified I/O interception during the exit, KVM could wrongly treat the already-emulated I/O as intercepted and leave vcpu->arch.pio.count non-zero, triggering a WARN and potentially disrupting the guest. Practical exploitation requires local access to /dev/kvm and the ability to run nested virtualization or manipulate I/O bitmaps.
Mitigation
This vulnerability can be mitigated by disabling nested virtualization. Create a file in `/etc/modprobe.d/` with a descriptive name, such as `cve-2026-53359-mitigation.conf`. In that file, disable nested virtualization for the `kvm_intel` and `kvm_amd` kernel modules:
options kvm-intel nested=0
options kvm-amd nested=0
Use `lsmod` to determine if either module is already loaded. If so, remove loaded modules with `modprobe -r`. To validate that nested virtualization is disabled, read the files `/sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/nested` and `/sys/module/kvm_amd/parameters/nested`. If these modules are loaded, those files should read `N` to indicate that the feature is disabled.
In OpenShift 4, a MachineConfig can be utilized to create a modprobe configuration allowing control of the module on applicable nodes. See the following article for an example.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | 7.9 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | Low |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; Unexpected State
The data which were produced as a result of a function call could be in a bad state upon return. If the return value is not checked, then this bad data may be used in operations, possibly leading to a crash or other unintended behaviors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
