KVM: arm64: Handle kvm_arm_init failure correctly in finalize_pkvm
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: arm64: Handle kvm_arm_init failure correctly in finalize_pkvm
Currently there is no synchronisation between finalize_pkvm() and
kvm_arm_init() initcalls. The finalize_pkvm() proceeds happily even if
kvm_arm_init() fails resulting in the following warning on all the CPUs
and eventually a HYP panic:
| kvm [1]: IPA Size Limit: 48 bits
| kvm [1]: Failed to init hyp memory protection
| kvm [1]: error initializing Hyp mode: -22
|
| <snip>
|
| WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 0 at arch/arm64/kvm/pkvm.c:226 _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x30/0x50
| Modules linked in:
| CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.4.0 #237
| Hardware name: FVP Base RevC (DT)
| pstate: 634020c5 (nZCv daIF +PAN -UAO +TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
| pc : _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x30/0x50
| lr : __flush_smp_call_function_queue+0xd8/0x230
|
| Call trace:
| _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x3c/0x50
| on_each_cpu_cond_mask+0x3c/0x6c
| pkvm_drop_host_privileges+0x4c/0x78
| finalize_pkvm+0x3c/0x5c
| do_one_initcall+0xcc/0x240
| do_initcall_level+0x8c/0xac
| do_initcalls+0x54/0x94
| do_basic_setup+0x1c/0x28
| kernel_init_freeable+0x100/0x16c
| kernel_init+0x20/0x1a0
| ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20
| Failed to finalize Hyp protection: -22
| dtb=fvp-base-revc.dtb
| kvm [95]: nVHE hyp BUG at: arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c:540!
| kvm [95]: nVHE call trace:
| kvm [95]: [<ffff800081052984>] __kvm_nvhe_hyp_panic+0xac/0xf8
| kvm [95]: [<ffff800081059644>] __kvm_nvhe_handle_host_mem_abort+0x1a0/0x2ac
| kvm [95]: [<ffff80008105511c>] __kvm_nvhe_handle_trap+0x4c/0x160
| kvm [95]: [<ffff8000810540fc>] __kvm_nvhe___skip_pauth_save+0x4/0x4
| kvm [95]: ---[ end nVHE call trace ]---
| kvm [95]: Hyp Offset: 0xfffe8db00ffa0000
| Kernel panic - not syncing: HYP panic:
| PS:a34023c9 PC:0000f250710b973c ESR:00000000f2000800
| FAR:ffff000800cb00d0 HPFAR:000000000880cb00 PAR:0000000000000000
| VCPU:0000000000000000
| CPU: 3 PID: 95 Comm: kworker/u16:2 Tainted: G W 6.4.0 #237
| Hardware name: FVP Base RevC (DT)
| Workqueue: rpciod rpc_async_schedule
| Call trace:
| dump_backtrace+0xec/0x108
| show_stack+0x18/0x2c
| dump_stack_lvl+0x50/0x68
| dump_stack+0x18/0x24
| panic+0x138/0x33c
| nvhe_hyp_panic_handler+0x100/0x184
| new_slab+0x23c/0x54c
| ___slab_alloc+0x3e4/0x770
| kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x1f0/0x278
| __alloc_skb+0xdc/0x294
| tcp_stream_alloc_skb+0x2c/0xf0
| tcp_sendmsg_locked+0x3d0/0xda4
| tcp_sendmsg+0x38/0x5c
| inet_sendmsg+0x44/0x60
| sock_sendmsg+0x1c/0x34
| xprt_sock_sendmsg+0xdc/0x274
| xs_tcp_send_request+0x1ac/0x28c
| xprt_transmit+0xcc/0x300
| call_transmit+0x78/0x90
| __rpc_execute+0x114/0x3d8
| rpc_async_schedule+0x28/0x48
| process_one_work+0x1d8/0x314
| worker_thread+0x248/0x474
| kthread+0xfc/0x184
| ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20
| SMP: stopping secondary CPUs
| Kernel Offset: 0x57c5cb460000 from 0xffff800080000000
| PHYS_OFFSET: 0x80000000
| CPU features: 0x00000000,1035b7a3,ccfe773f
| Memory Limit: none
| ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: HYP panic:
| PS:a34023c9 PC:0000f250710b973c ESR:00000000f2000800
| FAR:ffff000800cb00d0 HPFAR:000000000880cb00 PAR:0000000000000000
| VCPU:0000000000000000 ]---
Fix it by checking for the successfull initialisation of kvm_arm_init()
in finalize_pkvm() before proceeding any futher.
This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.
The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2023-53319 is recorded against 2 packages.
Published on 16 September 2025 and last revised on 12 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)
kernel has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:
Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:
Details
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected Packages
| Software | From version | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| kernel | 6.4.0 | 6.4.8 |
| linux-kernel | — | — |
References
Similar Threats
Vulnerability Monitoring
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