Vulnerability Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down scalable-mode context entry device_pasid_table_teardown() zeroes the 128-bit scalable-mode context entry with context_clear_entry() while the Present bit is still set. This creates a window where the hardware can fetch a torn entry, with some fields already zeroed while Present is still set, leading to unpredictable behavior or spurious faults. The context-cache invalidation is issued only after the entry has been zeroed, and intel_pasid_free_table() then frees the PASID directory pages, so the IOMMU can keep walking a stale Present=1 entry that points at freed memory. While x86 provides strong write ordering, the compiler may reorder the two 64-bit writes to the entry, and the hardware fetch is not guaranteed to be atomic with respect to multiple CPU writes. Commit c1e4f1dccbe9d ("iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down context entry") fixed this exact pattern in domain_context_clear_one() and the copied-context path, but device_pasid_table_teardown() was not converted. Align it with the "Guidance to Software for Invalidations" in the VT-d spec, Section 6.5.3.3, using the same ownership handshake as the sibling fix: clear only the Present bit, flush it to the IOMMU, perform the context-cache invalidation, and only then zero the rest of the entry.
CVSS Score
CRITICAL
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/588718101e8449605f1c7e858fecb7cfa701cdab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7fd4077dc92b91b1b844333c0a06bb9e286db10a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9e83bcfe37dc719182500dd823c03ab57d934f0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f46452c3df7a8d8a5addc0926e76ef19ea7da0a0
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-74439?
CVE-2026-74439 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.3 (CRITICAL). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down scalable-mode context entry device_pasid_table_teardown() zeroes the 128-bit sca...
How severe is CVE-2026-74439?
CVE-2026-74439 has been rated CRITICAL with a CVSS base score of 9.3/10. This is considered a critical vulnerability requiring immediate attention.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-74439?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.