# CVE-2026-98719: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  KVM: SEV: Nullify "have run CPUs" mask pointer w...

CVE-2026-98719 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98719 (version 7.2.10-1), released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98719
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: n/a
- EPSS: 0.0017
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Oct 18, 2026

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  KVM: SEV: Nullify "have run CPUs" mask pointer when freeing it  Nullify have_run_cpus when freeing the mask, particularly in the error path of __sev_guest_init(), so that KVM doesn't have to subtly use sev->active to track whether or not the mask has been freed.  As pointed out by Sashiko, blindly freeing the mask in sev_vm_destroy() results in a double-free if the mask is freed if __sev_guest_init() fails.  Throw the logic in a helper as nullifying the pointer is frustratingly difficult and weird due to have_run_cpus being a single-entry array when CPUMASK_OFFSTACK=n.  Deliberately don't use CPUMASK_VAR_NULL, as it's not directly assignable when the cpumask is on-stack, e.g. requires using a local variable and a memcpy(), which is beyond ridiculous.  Furthermore, while clearing the on-stack bitmask is an unnecessary and arguably unwanted side effect, KVM absolutely relies on '0' being the "null" value given that the struct is zero-allocated.  Opportunistically add an alloc() helper to pair with free(); there are just enough call sites to make doing so worthwhile.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.10-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98719](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98719.md) | Oct 19, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T19:12:23Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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