CVE-2026-98900: xen/gntalloc: validate grant count before allocation
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
xen/gntalloc: validate grant count before allocation
gntallocioctlalloc() allocates the grant-id array before checking whether the requested count fits within the global grant limit. Counts above that limit cannot succeed, so reject them before the user-controlled allocation reaches kcalloc().
Use a subtraction-based check while holding grefmutex so adding the requested count cannot wrap. Also cast the count before advancing the per-file index so the page-size multiplication is performed in 64-bit arithmetic.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.77 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hwe-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscvto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-42.42.1 - Compensating control
In xen/gntalloc, validate and reject requested grant counts that exceed the global grant limit before the user-controlled allocation reaches kcalloc(); hold gref_mutex while using a subtraction-based check to prevent wraparound, and cast the count before advancing the per-file index so page-size multiplication is performed in 64-bit arithmetic.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What access does an attacker need to trigger this issue?
The vulnerable path is gntalloc_ioctl_alloc(), so an attacker needs the ability to issue allocation requests through the Xen grant-allocation interface. The request count is user controlled.
What happens when an excessive grant count is requested?
Before the fix, the kernel could allocate the grant-ID array with kcalloc() before determining that the requested count exceeded the global grant limit. Such requests cannot succeed, but the allocation was still reached.
Are systems using the Xen grant-allocation interface affected by integer overflow concerns?
The fix uses a subtraction-based validation while holding gref_mutex to avoid wraparound when checking the requested count against the global grant limit. It also performs the page-size multiplication used to advance the per-file index in 64-bit arithmetic.