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Zapscape: Guest-to-Host Escape in KVM/x86 (CVE-2026-64561)

tentortentor Member, Host Rep

This is a report on "Zapscape (CVE-2026-64561)", a KVM escape vulnerability that lets a guest escape to the host in KVM/x86, that is, on both Intel and AMD hosts.

Zapscape is a use-after-free vulnerability in the shadow MMU emulation of KVM/x86, specifically in the recursive "zap" path that runs when shadow
pages are reclaimed. It can trigger the bug with guest-side actions alone to corrupt the host kernel's shadow page, and it can threaten the guest-host isolation of KVM/x86 hosts that accept untrusted guests and
expose nested virtualization, particularly multi-tenant x86 public clouds.

However, unlike the previously published Januscape (CVE-2026-53359), on Intel it can be triggered only when both EPT page walk length 4 and 5 are
exposed to L1. On AMD there is no such constraint.

This vulnerability was reported to [email protected] and is now patched in mainline. It covers the range from f95eec9bed76 (2020-07-08) to
2abd5287f083 (2026-07-21): https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=2abd5287f083

For detailed information about the vulnerability and follow-up updates, please see: https://zapscape.io

Comments

  • To quote the famous bowl of petunias, "Oh no, not again...".

  • DecicusDecicus Member
    edited August 6

    Is it too late to become a farmer?

    I don't need to kernel patch a cow, for example.

  • rpqurpqu Member

    fuck

  • stable_geniusstable_genius Member
    edited August 6

    With so many KVM vulnerabilities I guess it will be safer to run everything in qemu CPU emulation mode, no KVM.

    Jokes aside, I found one decent use for that.

    Thanked by 1bbmmsvr4u
  • deafcondeafcon Member

    @Decicus said:
    Is it too late to become a farmer?

    I don't need to kernel patch a cow, for example.

    There's got to be a joke about a cow in a corn field in there somewhere, but I can't find it.

    Thanked by 1Decicus
  • The sun is going down!

  • tentortentor Member, Host Rep
    edited August 6

    People miss the most important remark

    it can threaten the guest-host isolation of KVM/x86 hosts that accept untrusted guests and expose nested virtualization

    Thanked by 2Nadwey mandala
  • OhJohnOhJohn Member

    Hey wait, it's not Friday yet.

    Thanked by 1tentor
  • And there is also this beauty, CVE-2026-64564, an LPE via SCTP, including container-to-host escape

    Thanked by 1tentor
  • allthemtingsallthemtings Member, Megathread Squad

    Seems to be every week at this point..

  • jfracjfrac Member, Host Rep

    Seems debian is the fastest distro to move to have patches ready, they already have a patched source (6.12.101-1) you can compile yourself.

    Thanked by 3oloke bbmmsvr4u tux
  • Great, more maintenance windows and reboots. :|

    Thanked by 1oloke
  • bbmmsvr4ubbmmsvr4u Member, Patron Provider

    @stable_genius said:
    With so many KVM vulnerabilities I guess it will be safer to run everything in qemu CPU emulation mode, no KVM.

    Jokes aside, I found one decent use for that.

    Now I do think running qemu cpu does helps xD instead of running host mode.

  • FlintFlint Member, Host Rep

    Interesting that JanuScape caused such a stir in here, while this actual escape-to-host exploit gets almost no attention. It is clearly the more severe of the two, since JanuScape only allowed a host crash at the time. We love AI don’t we?

    Thanked by 1tzuli
  • tzulitzuli Member

    @Flint said: Interesting that JanuScape caused such a stir in here, while this actual escape-to-host exploit gets almost no attention.

    Maybe people are already becoming desensitized

    We love AI don’t we?

    It's a new era

    Thanked by 2tentor Flint
  • OhJohnOhJohn Member

    @Computebox was fast again last night.

    Still waiting for OVH to put up a new maintenance notice for 700+ different OVH cloud services...

    Thanked by 2oloke ComputeBox
  • eh its nothing special really. All you need to do is update to 6.18.42 or 6.12.101 and done. Would be more captivating if there wasnt a fix. More novel exploits are certainly something. Always good getting found and fixed.

  • @Decicus said:
    Is it too late to become a farmer?

    I don't need to kernel patch a cow, for example.

    Confirmed, I don't need to patch my chickens

    Thanked by 1Decicus
  • zedzed Veteran

    this shit is super annoying but preferable to only the bad guys knowing about it.

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