Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
x86/fred: Clear WFE in missing-ENDBRANCH #CPs
An indirect branch instruction sets the CPU indirect branch tracker
(IBT) into WAIT_FOR_ENDBRANCH (WFE) state and WFE stays asserted
across the instruction boundary. When the decoder finds an
inappropriate instruction while WFE is set ENDBR, the CPU raises a #CP
fault.
For the "kernel IBT no ENDBR" selftest where #CPs are deliberately
triggered, the WFE state of the interrupted context needs to be
cleared to let execution continue. Otherwise when the CPU resumes
from the instruction that just caused the previous #CP, another
missing-ENDBRANCH #CP is raised and the CPU enters a dead loop.
This is not a problem with IDT because it doesn't preserve WFE and
IRET doesn't set WFE. But FRED provides space on the entry stack
(in an expanded CS area) to save and restore the WFE state, thus the
WFE state is no longer clobbered, so software must clear it.
Clear WFE to avoid dead looping in ibt_clear_fred_wfe() and the
!ibt_fatal code path when execution is allowed to continue.
Clobbering WFE in any other circumstance is a security-relevant bug.
[ dhansen: changelog rewording ]
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.6 | 6.6.70 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.12.8-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.12.8-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux | 6.8.0-60.63 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws | 6.8.0-1029.31 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure | 6.8.0-1029.34 | USN-7513-3 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.11 | 6.11.0-1012.12~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-nvidia | 6.8.0-1016.17 | USN-7522-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 6.8.0-1030.32 | USN-7515-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.11 | 6.11.0-1011.11~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gke | 6.8.0-1025.29 | USN-7515-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gkeop | 6.8.0-1012.14 | USN-7515-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-hwe-6.11 | 6.11.0-21.21~24.04.1 | USN-7379-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-ibm | 6.8.0-1026.26 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 | 6.11.0-1011.12~24.04.1 | USN-7381-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 6.8.0-1028.31 | USN-7514-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.11 | 6.11.0-1007.7 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-lowlatency | 6.8.0-1028.31.1 | USN-7514-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 6.8.0-1008.8 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oem-6.11 | 6.11.0-1017.17 | USN-7382-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oem-6.8 | 6.8.0-1028.28 | USN-7513-3 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 6.8.0-1026.27 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 6.8.0-1028.32 | USN-7524-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +1 | 6.8.0-60.63.1 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-xilinx | 6.8.0-1017.18 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.8 | 6.8.0-1029.31~22.04.1 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.8 | 6.8.0-1029.34~22.04.1 | USN-7513-3 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.8 | 6.8.0-1030.32~22.04.1 | USN-7515-2 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-hwe-6.8 | 6.8.0-60.63~22.04.1 | USN-7513-4 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-ibm-6.8 | 6.8.0-1026.26~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 | 6.8.0-60.63.1~22.04.1 | USN-7513-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.8 | 6.8.0-1028.31~22.04.1 | USN-7514-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle-6.8 | 6.8.0-1026.27~22.04.1 | USN-7513-5 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv-6.8 | 6.8.0-62.65~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | 6.8.0-2023.24 | USN-7523-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 6.8.1-1022.23 | USN-7513-2 |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.8 | 6.8.1-1022.23~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-fips | 6.8.0-78.78+fips1 | — |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | kernel | 6.6.76.1-1 | — |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 9 | kernel-uek +34 | 6.12.0-101.33.4.3.el10uek | ELSA-2025-20530, ELSA-2025-20480 |
Advisories 17
- WID-SEC-2025-0016 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 9, 2026
- USN-7524-1 linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 3, 2026
- USN-7523-1 linux-raspi-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 3, 2026
- USN-7522-1 linux-azure-nvidia vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7513-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-aws-6.8, linux-ibm, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7513-2 linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7513-3 linux-azure, linux-azure-6.8, linux-oem-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7515-2 linux-gcp, linux-gcp-6.8, linux-gkeop vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7514-1 linux-nvidia, linux-nvidia-6.8, linux-nvidia-lowlatency vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7513-4 linux-hwe-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7513-5 linux-oracle-6.8 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7515-1 linux-gke vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 30, 2026
- USN-7379-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-hwe-6.11, linux-oracle, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 29, 2026
- USN-7382-1 linux-oem-6.11 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 29, 2026
- USN-7381-1 linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 3, 2026
- ELSA-2025-20530 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Aug 18, 2025
- ELSA-2025-20480 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Jul 17, 2025