Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: SVM: Skip fastpath...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
KVM: SVM: Skip fastpath emulation on VM-Exit if next RIP isn't valid
Skip the WRMSR and HLT fastpaths in SVM's VM-Exit handler if the next RIP
isn't valid, e.g. because KVM is running with nrips=false. SVM must
decode and emulate to skip the instruction if the CPU doesn't provide the
next RIP, and getting the instruction bytes to decode requires reading
guest memory. Reading guest memory through the emulator can fault, i.e.
can sleep, which is disallowed since the fastpath handlers run with IRQs
disabled.
BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:106
in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 1, non_block: 0, pid: 32611, name: qemu
preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
INFO: lockdep is turned off.
irq event stamp: 30580
hardirqs last enabled at (30579): [] vcpu_run+0x1787/0x1db0 [kvm]
hardirqs last disabled at (30580): [] __schedule+0x1e2/0xed0
softirqs last enabled at (30570): [] fpu_swap_kvm_fpstate+0x44/0x210
softirqs last disabled at (30568): [] fpu_swap_kvm_fpstate+0x44/0x210
CPU: 298 UID: 0 PID: 32611 Comm: qemu Tainted: G U 6.16.0-smp--e6c618b51cfe-sleep #782 NONE
Tainted: [U]=USER
Hardware name: Google Astoria-Turin/astoria, BIOS 0.20241223.2-0 01/17/2025
Call Trace:
dump_stack_lvl+0x7d/0xb0
__might_resched+0x271/0x290
__might_fault+0x28/0x80
kvm_vcpu_read_guest_page+0x8d/0xc0 [kvm]
kvm_fetch_guest_virt+0x92/0xc0 [kvm]
__do_insn_fetch_bytes+0xf3/0x1e0 [kvm]
x86_decode_insn+0xd1/0x1010 [kvm]
x86_emulate_instruction+0x105/0x810 [kvm]
__svm_skip_emulated_instruction+0xc4/0x140 [kvm_amd]
handle_fastpath_invd+0xc4/0x1a0 [kvm]
vcpu_run+0x11a1/0x1db0 [kvm]
kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x5cc/0x730 [kvm]
kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x578/0x6a0 [kvm]
__se_sys_ioctl+0x6d/0xb0
do_syscall_64+0x8a/0x2c0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x4b/0x53
RIP: 0033:0x7f479d57a94b
Note, this is essentially a reapply of commit 5c30e8101e8d ("KVM: SVM:
Skip WRMSR fastpath on VM-Exit if next RIP isn't valid"), but with
different justification (KVM now grabs SRCU when skipping the instruction
for other reasons).
Impact
CVE-2025-40038 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-40038? CVE-2025-40038 is a high-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-40038? CVE-2025-40038 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-40038? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-40038 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-40038 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-40038 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-40038 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.