Host crash via stale SEV-SNP VMSA mapping
Published Sep 16, 2026 · Updated Sep 16, 2026
Denial of service in Linux KVM 6.11 allows local users to crash an AMD SEV-SNP host by invalidating a VMSA-backed guest_memfd page. The KVM SEV path leaves control.vmsa_pa bound after its backing page is hole-punched or its memslot is deleted or moved, so firmware rejects RMPUPDATE and the next use faults. Reaching the fault requires local access to operate an SEV-SNP VM on supported AMD hardware, and the bounded consequence documented is a host kernel page fault and crash.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in Linux KVM 6.11 allows local users to crash an AMD SEV-SNP host by invalidating a VMSA-backed guest_memfd page. The KVM SEV path leaves control.vmsa_pa bound after its backing page is hole-punched or its memslot is deleted or moved, so firmware rejects RMPUPDATE and the next use faults. Reaching the fault requires local access to operate an SEV-SNP VM on supported AMD hardware, and the bounded consequence documented is a host kernel page fault and crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90040
- Published
- Sep 16, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 16, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 16, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=6.11
- Affected versionversion=e366f92ea99e1961fbad5e2110900e9f4fcb249b <2640cc26ed0dd1bf6ec2f6852a60e494093db3e5
- Affected versionversion=e366f92ea99e1961fbad5e2110900e9f4fcb249b <d1a3c216233413f57f5341a9b878b7e2dde7e785
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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