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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-89930

Linux kernel: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter KVM services local TLB flushes on "full" nested VM-Exits (through __nested_vmx_vmexit()), but not if a nested VM-Enter fails (e.g.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
9.3 Critical (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.2% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-89930 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter

KVM services local TLB flushes on "full" nested VM-Exits (through __nested_vmx_vmexit()), but not if a nested VM-Enter fails (e.g. due to failed VMCS checks in nested_vmx_enter_non_root_mode()).

However, it is possible that KVM had queued TLB flushes that need to be performed, even if the nested VM-Enter was not successful. For example, if VPID is disabled for L2 (via nested_vmx_transition_tlb_flush(), or if via the MSR load lists, as the SDM says:

Continue reading

If any MSR is being loaded in such a way that would architecturally require a TLB flush, the TLBs are updated so that, after VM entry, the logical processor will not use any translations that were cached before the transition.

The SDM is unclear about when the TLB flush should occur, and whether or not a failed VM entry would flush the TLB, so it is safer to always do the TLB flush in this case.

More concretely, KVM also updates the last VPID L1 used for L2 in nested_vmx_transition_tlb_flush() (i.e. last_vpid), even if the VM entry ultimately fails. With the current code, KVM could miss a TLB flush if L1 changes L2's VPID, then does a failed VM entry followed by a successful one, as the failed VM entry would update last_vpid but not actually flush the TLB.

Servicing local TLB flushes on failed VM entries makes sure that the TLB is always flushed when last_vpid is updated.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

9.3

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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

0.2%

Scored Percentile 8.1%

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-2026-89930 (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-2026-89930, 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: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter (CVE-2026-89930). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89930

MLA

"Linux kernel: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter (CVE-2026-89930)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89930.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter (CVE-2026-89930)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-89930.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter (Sep 16, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: nVMX: Service local TLB flushes on failed nested VM-Enter

KVM services local TLB flushes on "full" nested VM-Exits (through
__nested_vmx_vmexit()), but not if a nested VM-Enter fails (e.g. due to
failed VMCS checks in nested_vmx_enter_non_root_mode()).

However, it is possible that KVM had queued TLB flushes that need to be
performed, even if the nested VM-Enter was not successful.
CVSS 9.3 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89930).
EPSS 0.2% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-89930&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-89930: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89930
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-2026-89930&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-89930.
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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