[PATCH v3 06/26] KVM: nSVM: Triple fault if restore host CR3 fails on nested #VMEXIT

From: Yosry Ahmed

Date: Mon Dec 15 2025 - 14:28:22 EST


If loading L1's CR3 fails on a nested #VMEXIT, nested_svm_vmexit()
returns an error code that is ignored by most callers, and continues to
run L1 with corrupted state. A sane recovery is not possible in this
case, and HW behavior is to cause a shutdown. Inject a triple fault
instead.

>From the APM:
Upon #VMEXIT, the processor performs the following actions in
order to return to the host execution context:

...
if (illegal host state loaded, or exception while loading
host state)
shutdown
else
execute first host instruction following the VMRUN

Remove the return value of nested_svm_vmexit(), which is mostly
unchecked anyway.

Fixes: d82aaef9c88a ("KVM: nSVM: use nested_svm_load_cr3() on guest->host switch")
CC: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Yosry Ahmed <yosry.ahmed@xxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c | 12 ++++++------
arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c | 11 ++---------
arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.h | 6 +++---
3 files changed, 11 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
index e6b87ae46783..9500dd87d7a0 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
@@ -1075,7 +1075,7 @@ void svm_copy_vmloadsave_state(struct vmcb *to_vmcb, struct vmcb *from_vmcb)
to_vmcb->save.sysenter_eip = from_vmcb->save.sysenter_eip;
}

-int nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm)
+void nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm)
{
struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu = &svm->vcpu;
gpa_t vmcb12_gpa = svm->nested.vmcb12_gpa;
@@ -1097,7 +1097,7 @@ int nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm)

if (kvm_vcpu_map(vcpu, gpa_to_gfn(vmcb12_gpa), &map)) {
kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_TRIPLE_FAULT, vcpu);
- return 1;
+ return;
}

/* Give the current vmcb to the guest */
@@ -1257,8 +1257,10 @@ int nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm)

nested_svm_uninit_mmu_context(vcpu);

- if (nested_svm_load_cr3(vcpu, vmcb01->save.cr3, false, true))
- return 1;
+ if (nested_svm_load_cr3(vcpu, vmcb01->save.cr3, false, true)) {
+ kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_TRIPLE_FAULT, vcpu);
+ return;
+ }

/*
* Drop what we picked up for L2 via svm_complete_interrupts() so it
@@ -1283,8 +1285,6 @@ int nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm)
*/
if (kvm_apicv_activated(vcpu->kvm))
__kvm_vcpu_update_apicv(vcpu);
-
- return 0;
}

static void nested_svm_triple_fault(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c
index 2bfc46f22485..a2c6d7e0b8ce 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.c
@@ -2161,13 +2161,9 @@ static int emulate_svm_instr(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, int opcode)
[SVM_INSTR_VMSAVE] = vmsave_interception,
};
struct vcpu_svm *svm = to_svm(vcpu);
- int ret;

if (is_guest_mode(vcpu)) {
- /* Returns '1' or -errno on failure, '0' on success. */
- ret = nested_svm_simple_vmexit(svm, guest_mode_exit_codes[opcode]);
- if (ret)
- return ret;
+ nested_svm_simple_vmexit(svm, guest_mode_exit_codes[opcode]);
return 1;
}
return svm_instr_handlers[opcode](vcpu);
@@ -4689,7 +4685,6 @@ static int svm_enter_smm(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, union kvm_smram *smram)
{
struct vcpu_svm *svm = to_svm(vcpu);
struct kvm_host_map map_save;
- int ret;

if (!is_guest_mode(vcpu))
return 0;
@@ -4709,9 +4704,7 @@ static int svm_enter_smm(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, union kvm_smram *smram)
svm->vmcb->save.rsp = vcpu->arch.regs[VCPU_REGS_RSP];
svm->vmcb->save.rip = vcpu->arch.regs[VCPU_REGS_RIP];

- ret = nested_svm_simple_vmexit(svm, SVM_EXIT_SW);
- if (ret)
- return ret;
+ nested_svm_simple_vmexit(svm, SVM_EXIT_SW);

/*
* KVM uses VMCB01 to store L1 host state while L2 runs but
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.h b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.h
index 8a642ab2936a..9aa60924623f 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.h
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/svm.h
@@ -765,15 +765,15 @@ int nested_svm_vmrun(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu);
void svm_copy_vmrun_state(struct vmcb_save_area *to_save,
struct vmcb_save_area *from_save);
void svm_copy_vmloadsave_state(struct vmcb *to_vmcb, struct vmcb *from_vmcb);
-int nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm);
+void nested_svm_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm);

-static inline int nested_svm_simple_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm, u32 exit_code)
+static inline void nested_svm_simple_vmexit(struct vcpu_svm *svm, u32 exit_code)
{
svm->vmcb->control.exit_code = exit_code;
svm->vmcb->control.exit_code_hi = 0;
svm->vmcb->control.exit_info_1 = 0;
svm->vmcb->control.exit_info_2 = 0;
- return nested_svm_vmexit(svm);
+ nested_svm_vmexit(svm);
}

int nested_svm_exit_handled(struct vcpu_svm *svm);
--
2.52.0.239.gd5f0c6e74e-goog