CVE-2026-89981 (GCVE-0-2026-89981)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-09-16 10:32 – Updated: 2026-09-16 10:32
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
arm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
arm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled
__cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw
ID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has
disabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5
in that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle:
Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1] SMP
pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task!
Only pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back
online: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1,
while plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE.
Gate the read on the CPU's own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line
override applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects.
The boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an
unsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
2 products
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61 , < d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637
(git)
Affected: f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61 , < 5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b (git) |
guessed | |
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
7.0
Unaffected: 0 , < 7.0 (semver) Unaffected: 7.2.5 , ≤ 7.2.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.3-rc2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix) |
guessed |
{
"containers": {
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"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h",
"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h",
"arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c",
"arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
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"status": "affected",
"version": "f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b",
"status": "affected",
"version": "f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61",
"versionType": "git"
}
]
},
{
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"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h",
"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h",
"arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c",
"arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "7.0"
},
{
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"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
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},
{
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"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.5",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3-rc2",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.2.5",
"versionStartIncluding": "7.0",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.3-rc2",
"versionStartIncluding": "7.0",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\narm64: Don\u0027t read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled\n\n__cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw\nID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has\ndisabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5\nin that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle:\n\n Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1] SMP\n pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264\n Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task!\n\nOnly pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back\nonline: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1,\nwhile plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE.\n\nGate the read on the CPU\u0027s own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line\noverride applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects.\nThe boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an\nunsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too."
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-09-16T10:32:58.056Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b"
}
],
"title": "arm64: Don\u0027t read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-89981",
"datePublished": "2026-09-16T10:32:58.056Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-09-11T19:38:34.779Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-09-16T10:32:58.056Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2026-89981\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"published\":\"2026-09-16T11:17:09.037\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-09-16T11:17:09.037\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Received\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\\n\\narm64: Don\u0027t read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled\\n\\n__cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw\\nID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register even when the kernel has\\ndisabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets HCR_EL2.TID5\\nin that case, and pKVM injects an UNDEF the host cannot handle:\\n\\n Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1] SMP\\n pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264\\n Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task!\\n\\nOnly pKVM reaches it, and only after a CPU is offlined and brought back\\nonline: its CPU_ON relay sets the host HCR before the CPU enters EL1,\\nwhile plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE.\\n\\nGate the read on the CPU\u0027s own ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the command-line\\noverride applied, and on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register reflects.\\nThe boot CPU stores its registers before init_cpu_features() strips an\\nunsafe override, so clamp against the hardware value here too.\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"programFiles\":[\"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h\",\"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h\",\"arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c\",\"arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61\",\"lessThan\":\"d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"f35abcbb8a084db4c24b66ccc8db0405c08e2f61\",\"lessThan\":\"5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]},{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"affected\",\"programFiles\":[\"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpu.h\",\"arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h\",\"arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c\",\"arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"7.0\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0\",\"lessThan\":\"7.0\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.2.5\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"7.2.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.3-rc2\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"*\",\"versionType\":\"original_commit_for_fix\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{},\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5445d64199626974269fcdf347769ad44b0bb53b\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2d22ff377cd43f2e9660426ff22e3cd4c534637\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"}]}}"
}
}
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Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
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The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the
vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
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Related by attack behaviour
Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.
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