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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-90243

🗓️ 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 3 Views

Linux iommu/vt-d race in copied_context_tear_down causes unpredictable behavior or spurious faults.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-90243
17 Sep 202616:07
cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-90243 iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down copied context entry
17 Sep 202616:07
cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-90243
17 Sep 202616:07
debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-81836
17 Sep 202616:07
euvd
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-90243
17 Sep 202617:17
nvd
osv
OSV
BELL-CVE-2026-90243
19 Sep 202606:06
osv
osv
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90243
17 Sep 202617:17
osv
osv
OSV
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90243
18 Sep 202600:00
osv
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(347496);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/09/18");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-90243");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-90243");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - iommu/vt-d: Clear Present bit before tearing down copied context entry copied_context_tear_down() zeroes
    the 128-bit context entry with context_clear_entry() while the Present bit is still set, and only then
    issues the context-cache and IOTLB invalidations. This leaves a window in which hardware can fetch a torn
    entry, with some fields already zeroed while Present is still set, leading to unpredictable behaviour or
    spurious faults. While x86 provides strong write ordering, the compiler may reorder the writes to the two
    64-bit halves of the entry, and the hardware fetch is not guaranteed to be atomic with respect to multiple
    CPU writes. There is no cacheline flush before the invalidation either, so on an IOMMU without coherent
    access to the context table the zeroed entry may not be visible to hardware at the point the invalidation
    is submitted. Apply the same ownership handshake described in the VT-d spec, Section 6.5.3.3 (Guidance to
    Software for Invalidations): clear only the Present bit, flush it out to the IOMMU, perform the
    invalidations, and only then zero the remainder of the entry. (CVE-2026-90243)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-90243");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-90243");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/09/17");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/09/18");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:14.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-13", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-14");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-14": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "bpftool"},
          {"reference": "hyperv-daemons"},
          {"reference": "intel-sdsi"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower-dev"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower1"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-alpha-generic"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-alpha-smp"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-arm64-16k"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-armmp"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-armmp-lpae"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-cloud-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-cloud-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-loong64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-m68k"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-parisc"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-parisc64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc-smp"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc64-64k"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc64le"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-powerpc64le-64k"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-riscv64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-rt-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-rt-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-s390x"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-sh7751r"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-sparc64"},
          {"reference": "linux-base-7.1.13+deb14-sparc64-smp"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-13": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "13",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "bpftool"},
          {"reference": "hyperv-daemons"},
          {"reference": "intel-sdsi"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower-dev"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower1"},
          {"reference": "linux-bpf-dev"},
          {"reference": "linux-config-6.12"},
          {"reference": "linux-cpupower"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.12"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-4kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-5kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-4kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-5kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-alpha-generic"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-alpha-smp"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-arm64-16k"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-armmp"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-armmp-lpae"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-cloud-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-cloud-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-common"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-common-rt"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-loong64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-loongson-3"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-m68k"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips32r2eb"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips32r2el"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips64r2eb"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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18 Sep 2026 00:00Current
CVSS 3.18.1
EPSS0.00161
3