CVE-2026-72283

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) subsystem. This vulnerability occurs when the system fails to update an Interrupt Remapping Table Entry (IRTE) for a bypass operation, which can leave a pointer to a memory location that has already been freed (a 'dangling pointer'). If this dangling pointer is later accessed, it can lead to a 'use-after-free' condition, where the system attempts to use deallocated memory. This could result in system instability, crashes, or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

This vulnerability is rated as Moderate impact for Red Hat Enterprise Linux because exploitation requires local privileges and is restricted to virtualization environments utilizing direct PCI device assignment. The issue exists within KVM interrupt handling when an interrupt remapping table update encounters a failure, leaving an invalid pointer reference that can trigger a use-after-free condition. Because the vulnerable code is not present in enterprise platforms prior to RHEL 10, systems running earlier releases are unaffected.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.