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High · 8.8 CVE-2025-37957 EUVD-2025-15905GHSA-5vj7-r55g-9xv7

KVM: SVM: Forcibly leave SMM mode on SHUTDOWN interception

Published May 20, 2025 · Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: kernel Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.15 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.14 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-aws-6.8 Package: linux-aws-fips Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.15 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-6.8 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.15 Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.8 Package: linux-azure-fips Package: linux-azure-nvidia Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.15 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.14 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gcp-6.8 Package: linux-gcp-fips Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-5.15 Package: linux-ibm-6.8 Package: linux-intel Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-intel-iotg Package: linux-intel-iotg-5.15 Package: linux-kvm Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.8 Package: linux-nvidia-lowlatency Package: linux-nvidia-tegra Package: linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 Package: linux-nvidia-tegra-igx Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.14 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.15 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.14 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-oracle-6.8 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 Package: linux-realtime-6.8 Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.15 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-riscv-6.8 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx Package: linux-xilinx-zynqmp Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Azure Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: SVM: Forcibly leave SMM mode on SHUTDOWN interception

Previously, commit ed129ec9057f ("KVM: x86: forcibly leave nested mode
on vCPU reset") addressed an issue where a triple fault occurring in
nested mode could lead to use-after-free scenarios. However, the commit
did not handle the analogous situation for System Management Mode (SMM).

This omission results in triggering a WARN when KVM forces a vCPU INIT
after SHUTDOWN interception while the vCPU is in SMM. This situation was
reprodused using Syzkaller by:

1) Creating a KVM VM and vCPU
2) Sending a KVM_SMI ioctl to explicitly enter SMM
3) Executing invalid instructions causing consecutive exceptions and
eventually a triple fault

The issue manifests as follows:

WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 25506 at arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
kvm_vcpu_reset+0x1d2/0x1530 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
Modules linked in:
CPU: 0 PID: 25506 Comm: syz-executor.0 Not tainted
6.1.130-syzkaller-00157-g164fe5dde9b6 #0
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996),
BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014
RIP: 0010:kvm_vcpu_reset+0x1d2/0x1530 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:12112
Call Trace:
<TASK>
shutdown_interception+0x66/0xb0 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:2136
svm_invoke_exit_handler+0x110/0x530 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:3395
svm_handle_exit+0x424/0x920 arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c:3457
vcpu_enter_guest arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:10959 [inline]
vcpu_run+0x2c43/0x5a90 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:11062
kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x50f/0x1cf0 arch/x86/kvm/x86.c:11283
kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x570/0xf00 arch/x86/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:4122
vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline]
__do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:870 [inline]
__se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:856 [inline]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x19a/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:856
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 arch/x86/entry/common.c:81
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8

Architecturally, INIT is blocked when the CPU is in SMM, hence KVM's WARN()
in kvm_vcpu_reset() to guard against KVM bugs, e.g. to detect improper
emulation of INIT. SHUTDOWN on SVM is a weird edge case where KVM needs to
do _something_ sane with the VMCB, since it's technically undefined, and
INIT is the least awful choice given KVM's ABI.

So, double down on stuffing INIT on SHUTDOWN, and force the vCPU out of
SMM to avoid any weirdness (and the WARN).

Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.

[sean: massage changelog, make it clear this isn't architectural behavior]

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 5.15.81 – < 5.16, 6.0.11 – < 6.1, 6.1 5.16

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.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 6.12.29-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.12.29-1 —
Debian 12 linux No fix yet —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS linux-bluefield 6.8.0-1016.20 —
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS linux-bluefield No fix yet —
Ubuntu 25.10 linux-azure-fde No fix yet —
Ubuntu 25.04 linux-azure 6.14.0-1010.10 USN-7721-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux 6.8.0-100.100 USN-8028-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws +1 6.8.0-1046.49 USN-8028-5
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-aws-6.14 +1 6.14.0-1011.11~24.04.1 USN-7699-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure 6.8.0-1046.52 USN-8074-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 6.8.0-1046.53 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-azure-nvidia 6.8.0-1039.42 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp 6.8.0-1047.50 USN-8031-3
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.14 6.14.0-1014.15~24.04.1 USN-7699-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gke 6.8.0-1043.48 USN-8031-3
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gkeop 6.8.0-1030.33 USN-8028-5
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.14 6.14.0-28.28~24.04.1 USN-7699-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-ibm 6.8.0-1044.44 USN-8028-8
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-intel +10 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-lowlatency 6.8.0-100.100.1 USN-8052-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-lowlatency 6.8.0-1046.49.1 USN-8028-7
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 6.8.0-1020.20 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oem-6.14 6.14.0-1010.10 USN-7699-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oracle 6.8.0-1043.44 USN-8028-5
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi 6.8.0-1047.51 USN-8028-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-6.14 6.14.0-28.28.1~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-xilinx 6.8.0-1023.24 USN-8052-2
Show 10 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux +49 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws-6.8 +1 6.8.0-1046.49~22.04.1 USN-8028-5
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-6.8 6.8.0-1051.57~22.04.1 USN-8126-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde-6.8 6.8.0-1046.53~22.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.8 6.8.0-1047.50~22.04.2 USN-8031-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.8 +1 6.8.0-100.100~22.04.1 USN-8028-6
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm-6.8 6.8.0-1044.44~22.04.1 USN-8028-8
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 6.8.0-100.100.1~22.04.1 USN-8028-6
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle-6.8 6.8.0-1043.44~22.04.1 USN-8028-5
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 —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-raspi-realtime 6.8.0-2037.38 USN-8028-3
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime 6.8.1-1041.42 USN-8028-3
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.14 6.14.0-1010.10~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime +1 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.8 6.8.1-1041.42~22.04.1 USN-8028-2
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-aws-fips 6.8.0-1046.49+fips1 USN-8028-4
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-azure-fips 6.8.0-1046.52+fips1 USN-8074-2
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-fips 6.8.0-100.100+fips1 USN-8028-4
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-fips 6.8.0-1047.50+fips1 USN-8031-2
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS linux-fips +3 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS linux-fips +3 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-aws-5.15 +10 No fix yet —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-64kb +6 6.4.0-150700.53.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01951-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-azure +2 6.4.0-150700.20.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01967-1
SLES 15 SP7 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150700.53.3.1.150700.17.2.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01951-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-64kb +6 6.4.0-150600.23.53.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-azure +2 6.4.0-150600.8.40.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01965-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-coco +3 6.4.0-15061.21.coco15sp6.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01919-1
SLES 15 SP6 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150600.23.53.1.150600.12.24.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
Show 6 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-30.1.21.8 SUSE-SU-2025:20419-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-rt +1 6.4.0-33.1 SUSE-SU-2025:20421-1
SLE Micro 6.1 kernel-source +2 6.4.0-30.1 SUSE-SU-2025:20419-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-30.1.21.8 SUSE-SU-2025:20408-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-rt +1 6.4.0-33.1 SUSE-SU-2025:20413-1
SLE Micro 6.0 kernel-source +2 6.4.0-30.1 SUSE-SU-2025:20408-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-default 6.4.0-150700.53.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01951-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_1 1-150700.1.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01972-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP7 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_1 1-150700.15.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01951-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-default 6.4.0-150600.23.53.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_11 1-150600.1.3.2 SUSE-SU-2025:01964-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_12 1-150600.13.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP7 kernel-rt +3 6.4.0-150700.7.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01972-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-rt +3 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01964-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Leap 15.6 dtb-aarch64 +10 6.4.0-150600.23.53.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-azure +2 6.4.0-150600.8.40.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01965-1
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-default-base 6.4.0-150600.23.53.1.150600.12.24.1 SUSE-SU-2025:02000-1
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-rt +3 6.4.0-150600.10.39.1 SUSE-SU-2025:01964-1

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 bpftool +14 6.12.29-33.102.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2025-994
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.12.29-33.102 1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2025-994

Azure Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) kernel No fix yet —

Oracle Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Oracle Linux 9 kernel-uek +34 6.12.0-101.33.4.3.el10uek ELSA-2025-20530, ELSA-2025-20480

Advisories 34

References