CVE-2026-72287: KVM: nVMX: Move vTPR vs. TPR Threshold consistency check into "normal" checks

Published Aug 15, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: nVMX: Move vTPR vs. TPR Threshold consistency check into "normal" checks

Move the off-by-default consistency check for vmcs12.tprthreshold vs. the virtual APIC vTPR into the "normal" controls checks, as waiting until KVM has loaded some amount of state is unnecessary and actively dangerous. Specifically, failure to unwind vmcs01.GUESTCR3 to KVM's value when EPT is disabled results in KVM running L1 with an L1-controlled CR3, not with KVM's CR3!

Alternatively, KVM could simply reset the MMU to force a reload of vmcs01.GUESTCR3, but the only reason the check was shoved into a "late" flow was to wait until the vmcs12 pages were retrieved. Rather than build up more crusty code, simply access vTPR using a regular guest memory access (performance isn't a concern). To circumvent the restrictions that led to KVM deferring nestedgetvmcs12pages(), (a) use a VM-scoped API to read guest memory so that it always hits non-SMM memslots (for RSM), and (b) skip the check (since its off-by-default anyways) when the vCPU doesn't want to run, i.e. when userspace is restoring/stuffing state.

If reading guest memory fails, simply skip the consistency check, as KVM's de facto ABI is that VMX instruction accesses to non-existent memory get PCI Bus Error semantics, where reads return 0xFFs. And if vTPR=0xFF, then the vTPR is guaranteed to be greater than or equal to TPRTHRESHOLD.

Event History

Aug 15, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:55 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:55 AM
Description
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203