CVE-2026-97993

Published Sep 25, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vhost-vdpa: don't install the eventfd_ctx_fdget() error in config_ctx vhost_vdpa_set_config_call() swaps the eventfd_ctx_fdget() return value into v->config_ctx before checking it, so on failure the field briefly holds an ERR_PTR: ctx = fd == VHOST_FILE_UNBIND ? NULL : eventfd_ctx_fdget(fd); swap(ctx, v->config_ctx); if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ctx)) eventfd_ctx_put(ctx); if (IS_ERR(v->config_ctx)) { long ret = PTR_ERR(v->config_ctx); v->config_ctx = NULL; return ret; } Commit 0bde59c1723a ("vhost-vdpa: set v->config_ctx to NULL if eventfd_ctx_fdget() fails") added that clearing, and spelled out the invariant the rest of the file relies on: "we consider 'v->config_ctx' valid if it is not NULL". The window between the swap and the clearing still breaks it. vhost_vdpa_config_cb() only tests for NULL, so a config interrupt delivered inside the window hands the ERR_PTR to eventfd_signal(). Check the fd before installing it instead. That closes the window and matches how vhost_vring_ioctl() handles the same failure for the vq call fd. It also stops a rejected fd from tearing down a config interrupt that was working: until now the swap replaced the live context and put it, so after an EBADF the device silently stopped delivering config interrupts until userspace installed a new fd.

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References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-97993? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vhost-vdpa: don't install the eventfd_ctx_fdget() error in config_ctx vhost_vdpa_set_config_call() swaps the eventfd_ctx_fdget() return value into v->config_ctx before checking it, so on failure the field briefly holds an ERR_PTR: ctx = fd == VHOST_FILE_UNBIND ? NULL : eventfd_ctx_fdget(fd); swap(ctx, v->config_ctx); if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(ctx)) eventfd_ctx_put(ctx); if (IS_ERR(v->config_ctx)) { long ret = PTR_ERR(v->config_ctx); v->config_ctx = NULL; return ret; } Commit 0bde59c1723a ("vhost-vdpa: set v->config_ctx to NULL if eventfd_ctx_fdget() fails") added that clearing, and spelled out the invariant the rest of the file relies on: "we consider 'v->config_ctx' valid if it is not NULL". The window between the swap and the clearing still breaks it. vhost_vdpa_config_cb() only tests for NULL, so a config interrupt delivered inside the window hands the ERR_PTR to eventfd_signal(). Check the fd before installing it instead. That closes the window and matches how vhost_vring_ioctl() handles the same failure for the vq call fd. It also stops a rejected fd from tearing down a config interrupt that was working: until now the swap replaced the live context and put it, so after an EBADF the device silently stopped delivering config interrupts until userspace installed a new fd.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-97993? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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