CVE-2026-89981

medium

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled __cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw ID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has disabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5 in that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle: Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1] SMP pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264 Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task! Only pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back online: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1, while plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE. Gate the read on the CPU's own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line override applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects. The boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an unsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too.

References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b

Details

Source: Mitre, NVD

Published: 2026-09-16

Updated: 2026-09-16

Risk Information

CVSS v2

Base Score: 5.6

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:C

Severity: Medium

CVSS v3

Base Score: 5.5

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Severity: Medium

EPSS

EPSS: 0.00189