Cross-domain memory access via torn VT-d context
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 18, 2026
Race condition in the Intel VT-d IOMMU in Linux allows attackers with a DMA-capable PCIe device to read or write cross-domain memory. The copied_context_tear_down() path clears two halves of a 128-bit context entry while its Present bit remains set, then invalidates caches without first flushing the entry, allowing hardware to consume mixed fields. Reachability requires crash-kernel attachment with translation already enabled and in-flight device DMA; the timing-dependent result includes host-memory disclosure or overwrite, faults, panic, or an aborted crash dump.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in the Intel VT-d IOMMU in Linux allows attackers with a DMA-capable PCIe device to read or write cross-domain memory. The copied_context_tear_down() path clears two halves of a 128-bit context entry while its Present bit remains set, then invalidates caches without first flushing the entry, allowing hardware to consume mixed fields. Reachability requires crash-kernel attachment with translation already enabled and in-flight device DMA; the timing-dependent result includes host-memory disclosure or overwrite, faults, panic, or an aborted crash dump.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90243
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 18, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.12
- Affected versionversion=c7191984e5aade540f1a3845a116537c89572655 <3c88cfedc7768b1ae2dc7ddc71547ae9a1aaff7d
- Affected versionversion=c7191984e5aade540f1a3845a116537c89572655 <6b822d18c33af9d1e16a8e5e6aa6e656987b09de
- Affected versionversion=c7191984e5aade540f1a3845a116537c89572655 <97750a8dce79c1a9b2b2d2a020b61b800141996c
- Affected versionversion=c7191984e5aade540f1a3845a116537c89572655 <f532c57985b1a7d6b7e37e05506b46d413e5cca4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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