Guest kernel panic via stale INTn decoding
Published Dec 16, 2025 · Updated Dec 16, 2025
Incorrect interrupt handling in Linux KVM SVM allows attackers to crash a guest by racing software-interrupt decoding. KVM fails to verify that the decoded INTn still matches the instruction executed before another vCPU changed the code stream, then advances to an incorrect RIP. Affected kernels begin at 6.0 and require AMD SVM virtualization; deliberate reproduction uses modified guest behavior and host-side TSS swapping.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect interrupt handling in Linux KVM SVM allows attackers to crash a guest by racing software-interrupt decoding. KVM fails to verify that the decoded INTn still matches the instruction executed before another vCPU changed the code stream, then advances to an incorrect RIP. Affected kernels begin at 6.0 and require AMD SVM virtualization; deliberate reproduction uses modified guest behavior and host-side TSS swapping.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-68259
- Published
- Dec 16, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 16, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 16, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.0
- Affected versionversion=6ef88d6e36c2b4b3886ec9967cafabe4424d27d5 <4da3768e1820cf15cced390242d8789aed34f54d
- Affected versionversion=6ef88d6e36c2b4b3886ec9967cafabe4424d27d5 <53903ac9ca1abffa27327e85075ec496fa55ccf3
- Affected versionversion=6ef88d6e36c2b4b3886ec9967cafabe4424d27d5 <54bcccc2c7805a00af1d7d2faffd6f424c0133aa
- Affected versionversion=6ef88d6e36c2b4b3886ec9967cafabe4424d27d5 <87cc1622c88a4888959d64fa1fc9ba1e264aa3d4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- INT3 static-branch and TSS-swapping reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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