CVE-2026-72288

Guest-to-host compromise via VGIC interrupt race

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Use-after-free in the arm64 KVM virtual GIC in Linux allows guest OS users to corrupt host-kernel memory through crafted interrupt operations. vgic_prune_ap_list drops IRQ and AP-list locks without retaining an IRQ reference, allowing concurrent LPI disabling and affinity migration to free the object before its later dereference. A multi-vCPU arm64 KVM guest with GICv3 LPI access can trigger the race, causing host disclosure, corruption, code execution, crash, or hang.

CVSS severity9.3
Critical
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the arm64 KVM virtual GIC in Linux allows guest OS users to corrupt host-kernel memory through crafted interrupt operations. vgic_prune_ap_list drops IRQ and AP-list locks without retaining an IRQ reference, allowing concurrent LPI disabling and affinity migration to free the object before its later dereference. A multi-vCPU arm64 KVM guest with GICv3 LPI access can trigger the race, causing host disclosure, corruption, code execution, crash, or hang.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-72288
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-364, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.8
  2. Affected versionversion=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <7258770e5814f15e8308ebda82ac9acf6964ba8e
  3. Affected versionversion=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <b1a89d12d35a8256d2b170ced0b1c86851f3def2
  4. Affected versionversion=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <d19dca8194ebed371e624331c6be2cb73b562caf

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.8; version=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <7258770e5814f15e8308ebda82ac9acf6964ba8e; version=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <b1a89d12d35a8256d2b170ced0b1c86851f3def2; version=5dd4b924e390af426e424d5e52c1b4d1566af817 <d19dca8194ebed371e624331c6be2cb73b562caf

Published CVSS scores

8.9UbuntuCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.3Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-364Signal Handler Race Condition
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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