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high · CVSS 8.2

CVE-2026-81627

Qemu-kvm: vapic writable rom alias can escape the option-rom window and expose locked smram

Published 18 Sept 2026 · Source updated 4 Nov 2026 · Retrieved 2026-11-06 15:26 UTC

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What happened?

A flaw was found in QEMU. The VAPIC setup hypercall in hw/i386/vapic.c does not validate that the writable RAM alias remains within the option ROM window. A privileged guest user on a Q35/KVM machine can position this alias over locked SMRAM, bypassing chipset D_LCK protection and injecting code into System Management Mode memory.

Description supplied by CVE Program. Formatting is simplified; follow the original advisory for full details.

Affected software and versions

Source-provided software and version information
SoftwareVersion informationFixed version
qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: unaffectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvm-maRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
virt-devel:rhel/qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
virt:rhel/qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvmRed HatDefault status: unknownSee vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8Red HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9Red HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9Red HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory
qemu-kvm-rhevRed HatDefault status: affectedSee vendor advisory

Version information comes from the source record and can include unaffected products and exceptions. Distribution packages may contain backported fixes: an older upstream version alone does not prove a server is affected.

Is it being exploited?

This CVE was not listed in the CISA catalogue at our last retrieval. This does not establish that exploitation is absent.

CISA data retrieved 2026-11-06 16:38 UTC. Check CISA ↗

How to respond

  1. Confirm the product, installed package version, and any configuration requirements in the vendor advisory.
  2. Follow the vendor’s remediation or workaround guidance in the references below. Structured fixed-version data is unavailable here; the publisher’s description may include a fix or workaround.
  3. Restart affected services if required, then verify the running version. Known exploitation may warrant investigation as well as patching.

Sources and remediation references

This public advisory does not determine whether a particular server is affected. Records are refreshed as sources change; verify urgent decisions against the original advisory.

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