[PATCH v3] arm64: Don't read GMID_EL1 when MTE is disabled

From: Fuad Tabba

Date: Mon Aug 24 2026 - 14:42:09 EST


__cpuinfo_store_cpu() gates the GMID_EL1 read on the raw
ID_AA64PFR1_EL1, so it reads the register on MTE hardware even when the
kernel has disabled MTE (CONFIG_ARM64_MTE=n or arm64.nomte). KVM sets
HCR_EL2.TID5 in that case, trapping the read to EL2, where pKVM injects
an UNDEF the host cannot handle:

Internal error: Oops - Undefined instruction: 0000000002000000 [#1]
pc : __cpuinfo_store_cpu+0xf4/0x264
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill the idle task!

Only pKVM is affected, and only on a CPU that is offlined and brought
back online: a first bring-up either precedes KVM's initcall or is
refused by pKVM's CPU_ON relay. That relay sets the host HCR before the
CPU enters EL1, whereas plain nVHE sets it at CPUHP_AP_KVM_ONLINE,
after cpuinfo_store_cpu().

Gate the read on ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the cmdline override applied, and
on CONFIG_ARM64_MTE, which no register value reflects. That leaves the
SYS_GMID_EL1 feature register uninitialised when MTE is off, and it has
no readers.

Fixes: f35abcbb8a084 ("KVM: arm64: Trap MTE access and discovery when MTE is disabled")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Fuad Tabba <fuad.tabba@xxxxxxxxx>
---

Notes:
Changes since v2:
- Keep the GMID_EL1 read in __cpuinfo_store_cpu() and gate it on the
local ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 with the cmdline override applied, rather than
deferring the read to {init,update}_cpu_features() (Will). This also
keeps reg_gmid set in cpu_data[0], which v2 dropped (Catalin).

Changes since v1:
- Clarified that the trap only fires on a CPU that is offlined and
brought back online, not a late first boot (Marc).

Tested on QEMU with -machine virt,mte=on, under pKVM.

Offline/online CPU1 with arm64.nomte on the host cmdline: unpatched
panics in __cpuinfo_store_cpu(), patched does not.

arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h | 15 +++++++++++++++
arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c | 6 ++----
arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c | 2 +-
3 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h
index a57870fa96db5..5bb242721e4b9 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/cpufeature.h
@@ -1085,6 +1085,21 @@ static inline bool cpu_has_lpa2(void)
#endif
}

+/*
+ * Reading GMID_EL1 when the kernel has disabled MTE traps to EL2, and the raw
+ * ID_AA64PFR1_EL1 reflects neither CONFIG_ARM64_MTE nor the cmdline override.
+ */
+static inline bool gmid_el1_accessible(u64 pfr1)
+{
+ if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64_MTE))
+ return false;
+
+ pfr1 &= ~id_aa64pfr1_override.mask;
+ pfr1 |= id_aa64pfr1_override.val;
+
+ return id_aa64pfr1_mte(pfr1);
+}
+
#endif /* __ASSEMBLER__ */

#endif
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c
index 9a22df0c5120f..4b339346f6c78 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/cpufeature.c
@@ -1228,7 +1228,7 @@ void __init init_cpu_features(struct cpuinfo_arm64 *info)
init_cpu_ftr_reg(SYS_MPAMIDR_EL1, info->reg_mpamidr);
}

- if (id_aa64pfr1_mte(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1))
+ if (gmid_el1_accessible(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1))
init_cpu_ftr_reg(SYS_GMID_EL1, info->reg_gmid);
}

@@ -1490,11 +1490,9 @@ void update_cpu_features(int cpu,
* they read/write depends on the GMID_EL1.BS field. Check that the
* value is the same on all CPUs.
*/
- if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64_MTE) &&
- id_aa64pfr1_mte(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1)) {
+ if (gmid_el1_accessible(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1))
taint |= check_update_ftr_reg(SYS_GMID_EL1, cpu,
info->reg_gmid, boot->reg_gmid);
- }

/*
* If we don't have AArch32 at all then skip the checks entirely
diff --git a/arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c b/arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c
index d50e2a9b066b3..52a161fc38250 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c
+++ b/arch/arm64/kernel/cpuinfo.c
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ static void __cpuinfo_store_cpu(struct cpuinfo_arm64 *info)
info->reg_id_aa64smfr0 = read_cpuid(ID_AA64SMFR0_EL1);
info->reg_id_aa64fpfr0 = read_cpuid(ID_AA64FPFR0_EL1);

- if (id_aa64pfr1_mte(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1))
+ if (gmid_el1_accessible(info->reg_id_aa64pfr1))
info->reg_gmid = read_cpuid(GMID_EL1);

if (id_aa64pfr0_32bit_el0(info->reg_id_aa64pfr0))
--
2.39.5