CVE-2025-21779 — KVM: x86: Reject Hyper-V's SEND_IPI hypercalls if local APIC isn't in-kernel
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Reject Hyper-V's SEND_IPI hypercalls if local APIC isn't in-kernel Advertise support for Hyper-V's SEND_IPI and SEND_IPI_EX hypercalls if and only if the local API is emulated/virtualized by KVM, and explicitly reject said hypercalls if the local APIC is emulated in userspace, i.e. don't rely on userspace to opt-in to KVM_CAP_HYPERV_ENFORCE_CPUID. Rejecting SEND_IPI and SEND_IPI_EX fixes a NULL-pointer dereference if Hyper-V enlightenments are exposed to the guest without an in-kernel local APIC: dump_stack+0xbe/0xfd __kasan_report.cold+0x34/0x84 kasan_report+0x3a/0x50 __apic_accept_irq+0x3a/0x5c0 kvm_hv_send_ipi.isra.0+0x34e/0x820 kvm_hv_hypercall+0x8d9/0x9d0 kvm_emulate_hypercall+0x506/0x7e0 __vmx_handle_exit+0x283/0xb60 vmx_handle_exit+0x1d/0xd0 vcpu_enter_guest+0x16b0/0x24c0 vcpu_run+0xc0/0x550 kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x170/0x6d0 kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x413/0xb20 __se_sys_ioctl+0x111/0x160 do_syscal1_64+0x30/0x40 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x67/0xd1 Note, checking the sending vCPU is sufficient, as the per-VM irqchip_mode can't be modified after vCPUs are created, i.e. if one vCPU has an in-kernel local APIC, then all vCPUs have an in-kernel local APIC.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < 61224533f2b61e252b03e214195d27d64b22989a≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < 45fa526b0f5a34492ed0536c3cdf88b78380e4de≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < 5393cf22312418262679eaadb130d608c75fe690≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < 874ff13c73c45ecb38cb82191e8c1d523f0dc81b≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < aca8be4403fb90db7adaf63830e27ebe787a76e8≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < ca29f58ca374c40a0e69c5306fc5c940a0069074≥ 214ff83d4473a7757fa18a64dc7efe3b0e158486 and < a8de7f100bb5989d9c3627d3a223ee1c863f3b69version 4.20 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 4.20 and < 6.1.129≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.79≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.16≥ 6.13 and < 6.13.4version 6.14-rc1version 6.14-rc2 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2025
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
References
12 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/874ff13c73c45ecb38cb82191e8c1d523f0dc81b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8de7f100bb5989d9c3627d3a223ee1c863f3b69
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca29f58ca374c40a0e69c5306fc5c940a0069074
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aca8be4403fb90db7adaf63830e27ebe787a76e8
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5393cf22312418262679eaadb130d608c75fe690
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/61224533f2b61e252b03e214195d27d64b22989a
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-mmj4-6ppp-mqr2
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/45fa526b0f5a34492ed0536c3cdf88b78380e4de
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-784472.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00028.html
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21779
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2025-21779 is "KVM: x86: Reject Hyper-V's SEND_IPI hypercalls if local APIC isn't in-kernel", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.25% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.