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High · 7.8 CVE-2025-37964 EUVD-2025-15884GHSA-xxw2-vx44-7cv6

x86/mm: Eliminate window where TLB flushes may be inadvertently skipped

Published May 20, 2025 · Updated Nov 10, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux 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-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-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fips 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-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-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-5.15 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-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 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-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-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 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-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx-zynqmp Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

x86/mm: Eliminate window where TLB flushes may be inadvertently skipped

tl;dr: There is a window in the mm switching code where the new CR3 is
set and the CPU should be getting TLB flushes for the new mm. But
should_flush_tlb() has a bug and suppresses the flush. Fix it by
widening the window where should_flush_tlb() sends an IPI.

Long Version:

=== History ===

There were a few things leading up to this.

First, updating mm_cpumask() was observed to be too expensive, so it was
made lazier. But being lazy caused too many unnecessary IPIs to CPUs
due to the now-lazy mm_cpumask(). So code was added to cull
mm_cpumask() periodically[2]. But that culling was a bit too aggressive
and skipped sending TLB flushes to CPUs that need them. So here we are
again.

=== Problem ===

The too-aggressive code in should_flush_tlb() strikes in this window:

// Turn on IPIs for this CPU/mm combination, but only
// if should_flush_tlb() agrees:
cpumask_set_cpu(cpu, mm_cpumask(next));

next_tlb_gen = atomic64_read(&next->context.tlb_gen);
choose_new_asid(next, next_tlb_gen, &new_asid, &need_flush);
load_new_mm_cr3(need_flush);
// ^ After 'need_flush' is set to false, IPIs *MUST*
// be sent to this CPU and not be ignored.

this_cpu_write(cpu_tlbstate.loaded_mm, next);
// ^ Not until this point does should_flush_tlb()
// become true!

should_flush_tlb() will suppress TLB flushes between load_new_mm_cr3()
and writing to 'loaded_mm', which is a window where they should not be
suppressed. Whoops.

=== Solution ===

Thankfully, the fuzzy "just about to write CR3" window is already marked
with loaded_mm==LOADED_MM_SWITCHING. Simply checking for that state in
should_flush_tlb() is sufficient to ensure that the CPU is targeted with
an IPI.

This will cause more TLB flush IPIs. But the window is relatively small
and I do not expect this to cause any kind of measurable performance
impact.

Update the comment where LOADED_MM_SWITCHING is written since it grew
yet another user.

Peter Z also raised a concern that should_flush_tlb() might not observe
'loaded_mm' and 'is_lazy' in the same order that switch_mm_irqs_off()
writes them. Add a barrier to ensure that they are observed in the
order they are written.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 5.15.179 – < 5.15.183, 6.1.129 – < 6.1.139, 6.6.79 – < 6.6.91, 6.12.16 – < 6.12.29, 6.13.4 – < 6.14, 6.14 5.15.183

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 6.1.140-1 DSA-5925-1
Debian 11 linux-6.1 6.1.140-1~deb11u1 DLA-4271-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS linux-bluefield 5.15.0-1072.74 —
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-aws-6.14 +1 6.14.0-1011.11~24.04.1 USN-7699-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.11 +7 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-gcp-6.14 6.14.0-1014.15~24.04.1 USN-7699-1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-hwe-6.14 6.14.0-28.28~24.04.1 USN-7699-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-oem-6.14 6.14.0-1010.10 USN-7699-2
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv-6.14 6.14.0-28.28.1~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux +1 5.15.0-144.157 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws 5.15.0-1088.95 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure 5.15.0-1094.103 USN-7711-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 5.15.0-1094.103.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp 5.15.0-1087.96 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gke +1 5.15.0-1085.91 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gkeop 5.15.0-1070.78 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm 5.15.0-1080.83 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg 5.15.0-1083.89 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-kvm 5.15.0-1084.89 USN-7654-4
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia 5.15.0-1082.83 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 5.15.0-1041.41 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra-igx 5.15.0-1030.30 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-raspi 5.15.0-1083.86 USN-7686-1
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-xilinx-zynqmp 5.15.0-1052.56 USN-7654-5
Show 7 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
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-realtime-6.14 6.14.0-1010.10~24.04.1 —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-intel-iot-realtime 5.15.0-1081.83 USN-7654-2
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime 5.15.0-1088.97 USN-7654-2
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS linux-aws-fips 5.15.0-1088.95+fips1 USN-7654-3
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fips 5.15.0-1094.103+fips1 USN-7712-1
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS linux-fips 5.15.0-144.157+fips1 USN-7654-3
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS linux-gcp-fips 5.15.0-1087.96+fips1 USN-7654-3
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-aws-5.15 5.15.0-1088.95~20.04.1 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-azure-5.15 5.15.0-1094.103~20.04.1 USN-7712-2
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-gcp-5.15 5.15.0-1087.96~20.04.2 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-hwe-5.15 +1 5.15.0-144.157~20.04.1 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-ibm-5.15 5.15.0-1080.83~20.04.1 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg-5.15 5.15.0-1083.89~20.04.1 USN-7655-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 5.15.0-1041.41~20.04.1 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-oracle-5.15 5.15.0-1085.91~20.04.3 USN-7654-1
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux-riscv-5.15 5.15.0-1083.87~20.04.1 —

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.12.29-33.102 +1 1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2025-1050, ALAS2023-2025-994
Amazon Linux 2023 perf +14 6.1.140-154.222.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2025-1050, ALAS2023-2025-994
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.12 +5 6.12.29-33.102.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2025-994

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 24

References