In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: arm64: vgic: Fix race between LPI release and re-registration
Fix a potential race between decrementing an LPI's reference count and
evicting that structure from the LPI xarray.
LPI structures are maintained in the VGIC LPI xarray (dist->lpi_xa).
When the reference count of an LPI structure drops to zero,
vgic_release_lpi_locked() removes the structure from the xarray and
frees it under the xarray lock.
However, the release of an LPI can race with a concurrent LPI
re-registration with the same INTID via vgic_add_lpi() on another CPU,
since the reference count drop and the xarray eviction are not performed
in a single atomic step. This can happen e.g. if the guest issues a
DISCARD while the LPI is still referenced from a vCPU's active-pending
list (ap_list), and the same INTID is re-mapped via MAPTI.
Particularly, vgic_release_lpi_locked() is called from two distinct
paths: direct release via vgic_put_irq(), and deferred release via
vgic_release_deleted_lpis(). During direct release, the issue can result
in deleting a newly registered LPI from the xarray:
CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI)
==================== =====================
vgic_put_irq()
__vgic_put_irq()
refcount_dec_and_test()
vgic_add_lpi()
xa_lock_irqsave()
old_irq = xa_load(.., intid)
vgic_try_get_irq_ref(old_irq) == false
new IRQ inserted --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..)
xa_unlock_irqrestore()
xa_lock_irqsave();
vgic_release_lpi_locked()
__xa_erase(.., irq->intid) <-- BUG: new IRQ is erased
kfree_rcu(old_irq)
During the deferred release path, the old IRQ can be leaked:
CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI)
==================== =====================
vgic_put_irq_norelease()
__vgic_put_irq()
refcount_dec_and_test()
irq->pending_release = true
vgic_add_lpi()
xa_lock_irqsave()
old_irq = xa_load(.., intid)
vgic_try_get_irq_ref(oldirq) == false
BUG: old IRQ overwritten --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..)
xa_unlock_irqrestore()
vgic_release_deleted_lpis()
xa_lock_irqsave()
xa_for_each() { .. } <-- old IRQ with pending_release = true
is gone, so it cannot be released
To fix the direct release path, move the reference count drop inside
the xarray lock, making sure that vgic_add_lpi() never encounters the
to-be-released LPI.
In the deferred release path, the refcount drop must happen under a raw
spinlock, so the xarray lock cannot be grabbed, and the same solution
does not work. Instead, update vgic_add_lpi(), so that if it evicts
an LPI from the xarray, it takes on the responsibility of freeing it.
Consequently, an LPI may now be freed concurrently after a deferred
release drops the refcount, so accessing the pending_release field is no
longer safe from use-after-free. Delete all uses of the flag, and update
vgic_release_deleted_lpis() to identify orphaned LPIs purely based on
their refcount.
KVM: arm64: vgic: Fix race between LPI release and re-registration
Fix a potential race between decrementing an LPI's reference count and
evicting that structure from the LPI xarray.
LPI structures are maintained in the VGIC LPI xarray (dist->lpi_xa).
When the reference count of an LPI structure drops to zero,
vgic_release_lpi_locked() removes the structure from the xarray and
frees it under the xarray lock.
However, the release of an LPI can race with a concurrent LPI
re-registration with the same INTID via vgic_add_lpi() on another CPU,
since the reference count drop and the xarray eviction are not performed
in a single atomic step. This can happen e.g. if the guest issues a
DISCARD while the LPI is still referenced from a vCPU's active-pending
list (ap_list), and the same INTID is re-mapped via MAPTI.
Particularly, vgic_release_lpi_locked() is called from two distinct
paths: direct release via vgic_put_irq(), and deferred release via
vgic_release_deleted_lpis(). During direct release, the issue can result
in deleting a newly registered LPI from the xarray:
CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI)
==================== =====================
vgic_put_irq()
__vgic_put_irq()
refcount_dec_and_test()
vgic_add_lpi()
xa_lock_irqsave()
old_irq = xa_load(.., intid)
vgic_try_get_irq_ref(old_irq) == false
new IRQ inserted --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..)
xa_unlock_irqrestore()
xa_lock_irqsave();
vgic_release_lpi_locked()
__xa_erase(.., irq->intid) <-- BUG: new IRQ is erased
kfree_rcu(old_irq)
During the deferred release path, the old IRQ can be leaked:
CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI)
==================== =====================
vgic_put_irq_norelease()
__vgic_put_irq()
refcount_dec_and_test()
irq->pending_release = true
vgic_add_lpi()
xa_lock_irqsave()
old_irq = xa_load(.., intid)
vgic_try_get_irq_ref(oldirq) == false
BUG: old IRQ overwritten --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..)
xa_unlock_irqrestore()
vgic_release_deleted_lpis()
xa_lock_irqsave()
xa_for_each() { .. } <-- old IRQ with pending_release = true
is gone, so it cannot be released
To fix the direct release path, move the reference count drop inside
the xarray lock, making sure that vgic_add_lpi() never encounters the
to-be-released LPI.
In the deferred release path, the refcount drop must happen under a raw
spinlock, so the xarray lock cannot be grabbed, and the same solution
does not work. Instead, update vgic_add_lpi(), so that if it evicts
an LPI from the xarray, it takes on the responsibility of freeing it.
Consequently, an LPI may now be freed concurrently after a deferred
release drops the refcount, so accessing the pending_release field is no
longer safe from use-after-free. Delete all uses of the flag, and update
vgic_release_deleted_lpis() to identify orphaned LPIs purely based on
their refcount.
Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 15:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-362 CWE-416 |
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: arm64: vgic: Fix race between LPI release and re-registration Fix a potential race between decrementing an LPI's reference count and evicting that structure from the LPI xarray. LPI structures are maintained in the VGIC LPI xarray (dist->lpi_xa). When the reference count of an LPI structure drops to zero, vgic_release_lpi_locked() removes the structure from the xarray and frees it under the xarray lock. However, the release of an LPI can race with a concurrent LPI re-registration with the same INTID via vgic_add_lpi() on another CPU, since the reference count drop and the xarray eviction are not performed in a single atomic step. This can happen e.g. if the guest issues a DISCARD while the LPI is still referenced from a vCPU's active-pending list (ap_list), and the same INTID is re-mapped via MAPTI. Particularly, vgic_release_lpi_locked() is called from two distinct paths: direct release via vgic_put_irq(), and deferred release via vgic_release_deleted_lpis(). During direct release, the issue can result in deleting a newly registered LPI from the xarray: CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI) ==================== ===================== vgic_put_irq() __vgic_put_irq() refcount_dec_and_test() vgic_add_lpi() xa_lock_irqsave() old_irq = xa_load(.., intid) vgic_try_get_irq_ref(old_irq) == false new IRQ inserted --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..) xa_unlock_irqrestore() xa_lock_irqsave(); vgic_release_lpi_locked() __xa_erase(.., irq->intid) <-- BUG: new IRQ is erased kfree_rcu(old_irq) During the deferred release path, the old IRQ can be leaked: CPU0 (Releasing LPI) CPU1 (Adding new LPI) ==================== ===================== vgic_put_irq_norelease() __vgic_put_irq() refcount_dec_and_test() irq->pending_release = true vgic_add_lpi() xa_lock_irqsave() old_irq = xa_load(.., intid) vgic_try_get_irq_ref(oldirq) == false BUG: old IRQ overwritten --> __xa_store(.., intid, ..) xa_unlock_irqrestore() vgic_release_deleted_lpis() xa_lock_irqsave() xa_for_each() { .. } <-- old IRQ with pending_release = true is gone, so it cannot be released To fix the direct release path, move the reference count drop inside the xarray lock, making sure that vgic_add_lpi() never encounters the to-be-released LPI. In the deferred release path, the refcount drop must happen under a raw spinlock, so the xarray lock cannot be grabbed, and the same solution does not work. Instead, update vgic_add_lpi(), so that if it evicts an LPI from the xarray, it takes on the responsibility of freeing it. Consequently, an LPI may now be freed concurrently after a deferred release drops the refcount, so accessing the pending_release field is no longer safe from use-after-free. Delete all uses of the flag, and update vgic_release_deleted_lpis() to identify orphaned LPIs purely based on their refcount. | |
| Title | KVM: arm64: vgic: Fix race between LPI release and re-registration | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-15T12:28:08.859Z
Reserved: 2026-08-15T05:44:03.917Z
Link: CVE-2026-74568
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-08-15T13:18:02.370
Modified: 2026-08-15T13:18:02.370
Link: CVE-2026-74568
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-08-15T15:00:04Z