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Unity Linux 20.1060e / 20.1070e Security Update: kernel (UTSA-2026-004477)
medium Nessus Plugin ID 290151
Synopsis
The Unity Linux host is missing one or more security updates.Description
The Unity Linux 20 host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the UTSA-2026-004477 advisory.KVM in the Linux kernel on Power8 processors has a conflicting use of HSTATE_HOST_R1 to store r1 state in kvmppc_hv_entry plus in kvmppc_{save,restore}_tm, leading to a stack corruption. Because of this, an attacker with the ability run code in kernel space of a guest VM can cause the host kernel to panic. There were two commits that, according to the reporter, introduced the vulnerability: f024ee098476 (KVM: PPC:
Book3S HV: Pull out TM state save/restore into separate procedures) 87a11bb6a7f7 (KVM: PPC: Book3S HV:
Work around XER[SO] bug in fake suspend mode) The former landed in 4.8, the latter in 4.17. This was fixed without realizing the impact in 4.18 with the following three commits, though it's believed the first is the only strictly necessary commit: 6f597c6b63b6 (KVM: PPC: Book3S PR: Add guest MSR parameter for kvmppc_save_tm()/kvmppc_restore_tm()) 7b0e827c6970 (KVM: PPC: Book3S HV: Factor fake-suspend handling out of kvmppc_save/restore_tm) 009c872a8bc4 (KVM: PPC: Book3S PR: Move kvmppc_save_tm/kvmppc_restore_tm to separate file)
Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Unity Linux security advisory.
Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.
Solution
Update the affected kernel package.See Also
http://www.nessus.org/u?ed006a4b
http://www.nessus.org/u?9ca4b6d1
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1867717
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2020-8834
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4318-1/
Plugin Details
Severity: Medium
ID: 290151
File Name: unity_linux_UTSA-2026-004477.nasl
Version: 1.1
Type: local
Published: 1/16/2026
Updated: 1/16/2026
Supported Sensors: Nessus
Risk Information
VPR
Risk Factor: Medium
Score: 5.2
CVSS v2
Risk Factor: Medium
Base Score: 4.9
Temporal Score: 3.8
Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
CVSS Score Source: CVE-2020-8834
CVSS v3
Risk Factor: Medium
Base Score: 6.5
Temporal Score: 5.9
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
Vulnerability Information
Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, Host/UOS-Server/release, Host/UOS-Server/rpm-list
Exploit Available: true
Exploit Ease: Exploits are available
Patch Publication Date: 1/16/2026
Vulnerability Publication Date: 4/6/2020
Reference Information
CVE: CVE-2020-8834