CVE-2026-53359
KVM: x86: Fix shadow paging use-after-free due to unexpected role
No known exploitation. EPSS puts it in the 62nd percentile. Fixed versions are out.
What to do
Find your product and version, then upgrade to the build on the right.
- LinuxAffected: ≥ 2032a93d66fa282ba0f2ea9152eeff9511fa9a96, < 0b5e8ead71e683bcf6232db16234cf7e6d553a23Upgrade to: 0b5e8ead71e683bcf6232db16234cf7e6d553a23Affected: ≥ 2032a93d66fa282ba0f2ea9152eeff9511fa9a96, < b1337aae5e194324e4810d561764e7793f8b3864Upgrade to: b1337aae5e194324e4810d561764e7793f8b3864Affected: ≥ 2032a93d66fa282ba0f2ea9152eeff9511fa9a96, < 9291654d69e08542de37755cebe4d5b02c3170d1Upgrade to: 9291654d69e08542de37755cebe4d5b02c3170d1Affected: ≥ 2032a93d66fa282ba0f2ea9152eeff9511fa9a96, < 2ad3afa40ac6aa340dada122f9abfa46c0a6eb35Upgrade to: 2ad3afa40ac6aa340dada122f9abfa46c0a6eb35 + 3 more branchesStated by: CVE record
Versions as the sources state them. Full version matrix after sign-in
Coverage timeline
6 publishersHigh-severity KVM vulnerability CVE-2026-53359 allows guest VM escape with PoC released.
Advisory coverage
Linux vulnerability Januscape patched allowing VM escape to KVM host with root privileges.
Sourced from public security reporting — each date is when it was published, not when it happened. 2 further articles named this CVE in wider roundups without reporting it as a distinct event.
What it is
From the CVE record
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Fix shadow paging use-after-free due to unexpected role Commit 0cb2af2ea66ad ("KVM: x86: Fix shadow paging use-after-free due to unexpected GFN") fixed a shadow paging mismatch between stored and computed GFNs; the bug could be triggered by changing a PDE mapping from outside the guest, and then deleting a memslot. The rmap_remove() call would miss entries created after the PDE change because the GFN of the leaf SPTE does not match the GFN of the struct kvm_mmu_page. A similar hole however remains if the modified PDE points to a non-leaf page. In this case the gfn can be made to match, but the role does not match: the original large 2MB page creates a kvm_mmu_page with direct=1, while the new 4KB needs a kvm_mmu_page with direct=0. However, kvm_mmu_get_child_sp() does not compare the role, and therefore reuses the page. The next step is installing a leaf (4KB) SPTE on the new path which records an rmap entry under the gfn resolved by the walk. But when that child is zapped its parent kvm_mmu_page has direct=1 and kvm_mmu_page_get_gfn() computes the gfn for the 4KB page as sp->gfn + index instead of using sp->shadowed_translation[] (or sp->gfns[] in older kernels). It therefore fails to remove the recorded entry. When the memslot is dropped the shadow page is freed but the rmap entry survives, as in the scenario that was already fixed. Code that later walks that gfn (dirty logging, MMU notifier invalidation, and so on) dereferences an sptep that lies in the freed page, causing the use-after-free.
In plain language
No plain-language summary for this CVE yet.
Exploitation
Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.
- CISA KEV
Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.
- Public exploits
No public exploit or proof of concept found in the sources we track.
- EPSS
1.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 62nd percentile of scored CVEs.
Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.
Lifecycle
17 events over 91 days, from the signal feeds we watch.
- Patch availablerecord updated
- Patch availablerecord updated
- Patch availablerecord updated
- Patch availablerecord updated
- Record updated
- OpenVAS check added
Affected products
And 1 more affected product. See all after sign-in
Technical detail
CVSS 3.1 vector
Open in the CVSS calculatorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Scored 8.8 by NVD.
How it is reached
- Attack Vector LocalRequires local access to the vulnerable system (e.g. local login, malicious file)
- Attack Complexity LowNo special conditions — the attack can be reliably reproduced
- Privileges Required LowRequires basic user-level privileges
- User Interaction NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation
Scope
- Scope ChangedThe exploit can affect other components (e.g. sandbox escape, host compromise from VM)
Impact if exploited
- Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
- Integrity HighTotal loss of integrity — attacker can modify any data in the component
- Availability HighTotal denial of service — the component is completely unavailable
Weaknesses
ATT&CK techniques
Mapped from the weaknesses above (CWE to ATT&CK), not observed in attacks.
- Initial AccessT1190Exploit Public-Facing Applicationhigh confidence
- Privilege EscalationT1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalationhigh confidence
Sources
References in the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b5e8ead71e683bcf6232db16234cf7e6d553a23
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1337aae5e194324e4810d561764e7793f8b3864
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9291654d69e08542de37755cebe4d5b02c3170d1
And 6 more references. See all after sign-in
In the news
- Risky Bulletin: Pwnie Awards 2026 winners
- New Zapscape KVM Flaw Could Let Privileged L1 Guest Code Escape to Linux Hosts
- ⚡ Weekly Recap: ShareFile Threat, Citrix Bleed 2 Ransomware, AI Coding Attacks, and More
- 13th July – Threat Intelligence Report
- Linux-уязвимость Januscape позволяет атаковать хост из гостевой VM
- Google pays $250K for Linux vulnerability allowing guest VM escapes
- New Januscape Linux flaw allows VM escape on Intel, AMD devices
- Linux Kernel Vulnerability Allows VM Escape on Intel and AMD Systems
- 16-Year-Old Linux KVM Flaw Lets Guest VMs Escape to Host on Intel and AMD x86 Systems
Watch the software you run.
My Stack ranks new CVEs for your products by real-world exploitation, so the next serious one reaches you without reading every advisory.
We'll flag the next CVE, public exploit or patch for Linux, not every advisory.
A free account adds
- The full version matrix and every affected product
- Exploit links, proofs of concept and Metasploit modules
- Email alerts for the products you watch
- The same data over REST API, MCP and CLI