Re: [BUG REPORT] USE_AFTER_FREE in complete_emulated_mmio found by KASAN/Syzkaller fuzz test (v5.10.0)

[Sean Christopherson]

On Tue, Feb 10, 2026, Paolo Bonzini wrote:
> 
> > I've analyzed the Syzkaller output and the complete_emulated_mmio() code path.
> > The buggy address is created in em_enter(), where it passes its local variable `ulong rbp` to emulate_push(), finally ends in emulator_read_write_onepage() putting the address into vcpu->mmio_fragments[].data .
> > The bug happens when kvm guest executes an "enter" instruction, and top of the stack crosses the mem page.
> > In that case, the em_enter() function cannot complete the instruction within itself, but leave the rest data (which is in the other page) to complete_emulated_mmio().
> > When complete_emulated_mmio() starts, em_enter() has exited, so local variable `ulong rbp` is also released.
> > Now complete_emulated_mmio() trys to access vcpu->mmio_fragments[].data , and the bug happened.
> > 
> > any idea?
> 
> Ouch, the bug is certainly legit.  The easiest way to fix it is something
> like this:
> 
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c b/arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c
> index c8e292e9a24d..1c8698139dd5 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c
> @@ -1905,7 +1905,7 @@ static int em_enter(struct x86_emulate_ctxt *ctxt)
>  	rbp = reg_read(ctxt, VCPU_REGS_RBP);
>  	rc = emulate_push(ctxt, &rbp, stack_size(ctxt));
>  	if (rc != X86EMUL_CONTINUE)
> -		return rc;
> +		return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;

This won't do anything, rc == X86EMUL_CONTINUE when MMIO is needed.  The check
would need to be something equivalent to this hack:

	rc = emulate_push(ctxt, &rbp, stack_size(ctxt));
	if (((struct kvm_vcpu *)ctxt->vcpu)->mmio_needed)
		return X86EMUL_UNHANDLEABLE;

but that's largely a moot point.


>  	assign_masked(reg_rmw(ctxt, VCPU_REGS_RBP), reg_read(ctxt, VCPU_REGS_RSP),
>  		      stack_mask(ctxt));
>   	assign_masked(reg_rmw(ctxt, VCPU_REGS_RSP),
> 
> The hard part is auditing all similar places that lead to passing a
> local variable to emulator_read_write_onepage().
> 
> For example I found this one:
> 
> 	write_segment_descriptor(ctxt, old_tss_sel, &curr_tss_desc);
> 
> which however is caught at kvm_task_switch() and changed to an
> emulation error.
> 
> It may be a good idea to stick a defensive "vcpu->mmio_needed = false;"
> in prepare_emulation_failure_exit(), as well as
> "vcpu->arch.complete_userspace_io = NULL" both there and in
> kvm_task_switch().

Please see my other reply[*].  There are a pile of instructions and flows that
read/write using on-stack variables.  IMO, anything that relies on updating
callers is a non-starter, and I don't love the idea of simply disallowing MMIO
for any instruction that uses an on-stack variable.

[*] https://lore.kernel.org/all/aYpBz1wDdsDfl8Al@xxxxxxxxxx