In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

iommu/dma: Restore locking around msi_page_list

Unlike a group's default domain, which is always freshly allocated
and privately owned (iommu_group_alloc_default_domain()), VFIO type1's
legacy container merges any newly attached group into an existing
domain whenever their iommu_ops and cache-coherency enforcement match.

iommu_dma_get_msi_page() only asserts the caller's own group mutex is
held (iommu_group_mutex_assert()). On an IOMMU that publishes
IOMMU_RESV_SW_MSI, e.g. ARM SMMU, a VM with two such devices assigned
through the legacy container can have their guest drivers probe and
allocate MSIs in parallel; each host-side VFIO_DEVICE_SET_IRQS lands
on a different device fd and group mutex, but both devices' domains
are the same merged domain, so both can enter
iommu_dma_get_msi_page() concurrently and corrupt msi_page_list.

commit 288683c92b1a ("iommu: Make iommu_dma_prepare_msi() into a
generic operation") dropped the prior msi_prepare_lock on the
reasoning that "each iommu_domain is unique to a group," which holds
for default domains but not this VFIO type1 case. Restore the static
lock, since it's only guarding a corner case and will likely never
be contended.

iommufd avoids the equivalent problem by having its own callers
(iommufd_sw_map_msi()) take a ctx-wide sw_msi_lock before ever
reaching the shared list. VFIO type1 can't mirror that since it
dispatches to iommu_dma_sw_msi() which is outside VFIO's jurisdiction.

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Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/dma: Restore locking around msi_page_list Unlike a group's default domain, which is always freshly allocated and privately owned (iommu_group_alloc_default_domain()), VFIO type1's legacy container merges any newly attached group into an existing domain whenever their iommu_ops and cache-coherency enforcement match. iommu_dma_get_msi_page() only asserts the caller's own group mutex is held (iommu_group_mutex_assert()). On an IOMMU that publishes IOMMU_RESV_SW_MSI, e.g. ARM SMMU, a VM with two such devices assigned through the legacy container can have their guest drivers probe and allocate MSIs in parallel; each host-side VFIO_DEVICE_SET_IRQS lands on a different device fd and group mutex, but both devices' domains are the same merged domain, so both can enter iommu_dma_get_msi_page() concurrently and corrupt msi_page_list. commit 288683c92b1a ("iommu: Make iommu_dma_prepare_msi() into a generic operation") dropped the prior msi_prepare_lock on the reasoning that "each iommu_domain is unique to a group," which holds for default domains but not this VFIO type1 case. Restore the static lock, since it's only guarding a corner case and will likely never be contended. iommufd avoids the equivalent problem by having its own callers (iommufd_sw_map_msi()) take a ctx-wide sw_msi_lock before ever reaching the shared list. VFIO type1 can't mirror that since it dispatches to iommu_dma_sw_msi() which is outside VFIO's jurisdiction.
Title iommu/dma: Restore locking around msi_page_list
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-17T16:07:47.121Z

Reserved: 2026-09-11T19:38:34.795Z

Link: CVE-2026-90244

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-17T17:17:20.400

Modified: 2026-09-17T17:17:20.400

Link: CVE-2026-90244

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

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