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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-72380

Linux kernel: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[]

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[] pvcalls_front_event_handler() takes req_id directly from the backend-supplied ring response and uses it to index the fixed-size bedata->rsp[] array for a memcpy() and a store, with no range check.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
8.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.4% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-72380 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[]

pvcalls_front_event_handler() takes req_id directly from the backend-supplied ring response and uses it to index the fixed-size bedata->rsp[] array for a memcpy() and a store, with no range check. A malicious or buggy backend can set req_id past PVCALLS_NR_RSP_PER_RING and drive an out-of-bounds write past the bedata allocation.

req_id was also declared int while the wire field rsp->req_id is u32, so a range check on the signed value alone is insufficient: a backend req_id of 0xffffffff becomes -1, passes a >= PVCALLS_NR_RSP_PER_RING test and indexes bedata->rsp[-1]. Declare req_id as u32 so a single bound covers both ends.

Continue reading

A backend that sends an out-of-range req_id has violated the wire protocol, so rather than silently dropping the response, log once and stop trusting the backend: set bedata->disabled. The event handler then ignores further responses, and the request paths that wait for a response return -EIO instead of blocking forever. This mirrors the fatal-error handling xen-netback uses (xenvif_fatal_tx_err()).

The pvcalls frontend currently trusts its backend, so this is not a classic-Xen security issue, but it matters for hardening PV frontends against malicious backends (confidential and disaggregated deployments).

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

8.8

Version 3.1As of

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

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.4%

Scored Percentile 34.1%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-72380 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-72380, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[] (CVE-2026-72380). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72380

MLA

"Linux kernel: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[] (CVE-2026-72380)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72380.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[] (CVE-2026-72380)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72380.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[] (Aug 15, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xen/pvcalls: bound backend response req_id before indexing rsp[]

pvcalls_front_event_handler() takes req_id directly from the
backend-supplied ring response and uses it to index the fixed-size
bedata->rsp[] array for a memcpy() and a store, with no range check. A
malicious or buggy backend can set req_id past PVCALLS_NR_RSP_PER_RING
and drive an out-of-bounds write past the bedata allocation.
CVSS 8.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72380).
EPSS 0.4% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72380&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-72380: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72380
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72380&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-72380.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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