From: sashiko-bot@kernel.org
To: "Sean Christopherson" <seanjc@google.com>
Cc: kvm@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] KVM: x86: Leave nested if vendor specific logic fails on RSM to L2
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2026 18:09:45 +0000 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <sashiko-outbox-213391@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20261113172318.482971-1-seanjc@google.com>
Thank you for your contribution! Sashiko AI review found 1 potential
issue to consider:
- [Medium] KVM: x86: stale L2 CR/EFER and MMU state on error in
emulator_leave_smm()
--
commit c1ffe76267a883adcbf36fb63721587d4841653d
Author: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@google.com>
KVM: x86: Leave nested if vendor specific logic fails on RSM to L2
This commit jumps to the exit path in emulator_leave_smm() when the vendor
leave_smm callback fails so that kvm_leave_nested() is called if the vCPU
already entered guest mode.
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/smm.c b/arch/x86/kvm/smm.c
> index 656a38dad7e7a..23cb8211ec74e 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/smm.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/smm.c
> @@ -639,8 +639,10 @@ int emulator_leave_smm(struct x86_emulate_ctxt *ctxt)
> * reasons), and so nSVM/nVMX would clobber state that is loaded from
> * SMRAM and from the VMCS/VMCB.
> */
> - if (kvm_x86_call(leave_smm)(vcpu, &smram))
> - return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;
> + if (kvm_x86_call(leave_smm)(vcpu, &smram)) {
> + ret = X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;
> + goto out;
> + }
>
> #ifdef CONFIG_X86_64
> if (guest_cpu_cap_has(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_LM))
> @@ -661,6 +663,7 @@ int emulator_leave_smm(struct x86_emulate_ctxt *ctxt)
> * the shutdown, so that L1 enters shutdown instead of seeing a VM-Exit
> * that architecturally shouldn't be possible.
> */
> +out:
> if (ret != X86EMUL_CONTINUE && is_guest_mode(vcpu))
> kvm_leave_nested(vcpu);
> return ret;
[Severity: Medium]
Does jumping directly to kvm_leave_nested() when leave_smm() fails on SVM
leave vcpu->arch.{efer,cr0,cr4} with partially loaded vmcb12 state while
switching back to L1?
Before calling leave_smm(), emulator_leave_smm() puts the vCPU into 32-bit
unpaged real mode (CR0.PG=0, CR0.PE=0, EFER=0). In svm_leave_smm(),
nested_svm_check_cached_vmcb12() only checks kvm_vcpu_is_legal_cr3() when
both EFER_LME and X86_CR0_PG are set in vmcb12. If vmcb12 has an illegal
CR3 with CR0.PG=0, enter_svm_guest_mode() enters guest mode and overwrites
vcpu->arch.{efer,cr0,cr4} before failing in nested_svm_load_cr3():
arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c:enter_svm_guest_mode() {
...
nested_vmcb02_prepare_control(svm);
nested_vmcb02_prepare_save(svm);
ret = nested_svm_load_cr3(&svm->vcpu, svm->nested.save.cr3,
nested_npt_enabled(svm), from_vmrun);
if (ret)
return ret;
...
}
Because is_paging(vcpu) is false during RSM, nested_vmcb02_prepare_save()
and svm_set_cr0() leave EFER_LMA set in vcpu->arch.efer if vmcb12 has
EFER_LME=1, EFER_LMA=1, and CR0.PG=0. Jumping to out: skips
rsm_load_state_*(), and svm_leave_nested() switches back to vmcb01 (CPL=0)
and clears HF_GUEST_MASK without restoring vcpu->arch.{efer,cr0,cr4} or
resetting the MMU.
When vmcb12 also has CR0.PE=0, em_rsm() then fails in
emulator_recalc_and_set_mode() because EFER_LMA=1 with CR0.PE=0, and
handle_emulation_failure() sees !is_guest_mode(vcpu) and CPL == 0 and
exits to userspace with KVM_EXIT_INTERNAL_ERROR instead of
KVM_EXIT_SHUTDOWN. If CR0.PE=1 and userspace ignores KVM_EXIT_SHUTDOWN,
the vCPU runs in L1 with illegal or desynchronized CR/EFER and MMU state
(for example, EFER_LMA=1 with CR0.PG=0 and CR4.PAE=0, which can trigger
the KVM_BUG_ON() in kvm_calc_cpu_role()).
--
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20261113172318.482971-1-seanjc@google.com?part=1
prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-11-13 18:09 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-11-13 17:23 [PATCH] KVM: x86: Leave nested if vendor specific logic fails on RSM to L2 Sean Christopherson
2026-11-13 18:09 ` sashiko-bot [this message]
Reply instructions:
You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:
* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
and reply-to-all from there: mbox
Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style
* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
switches of git-send-email(1):
git send-email \
--in-reply-to=sashiko-outbox-213391@kernel.org \
--to=sashiko-bot@kernel.org \
--cc=kvm@vger.kernel.org \
--cc=sashiko-reviews@lists.linux.dev \
--cc=seanjc@google.com \
/path/to/YOUR_REPLY
https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html
* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line
before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox