Re: [PATCH V2 2/4] KVM: SVM: Fix nested NPF injection to set PFERR_GUEST_{PAGE,FINAL}_MASK

[Sean Christopherson]

On Tue, Feb 24, 2026, Kevin Cheng wrote:
> When KVM emulates an instruction for L2 and encounters a nested page
> fault (e.g., during string I/O emulation), nested_svm_inject_npf_exit()
> injects an NPF to L1. However, the code incorrectly hardcodes
> (1ULL << 32) for exit_info_1's upper bits when the original exit was
> not an NPF. This always sets PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK even when the fault
> occurred on a page table page, preventing L1 from correctly identifying
> the cause of the fault.
> 
> Set PFERR_GUEST_PAGE_MASK in the error code when a nested page fault
> occurs during a guest page table walk, and PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK when
> the fault occurs on the final GPA-to-HPA translation.
> 
> Widen error_code in struct x86_exception from u16 to u64 to accommodate
> the PFERR_GUEST_* bits (bits 32 and 33).

Stale comment as this was moved to a separate patch.

> Update nested_svm_inject_npf_exit() to use fault->error_code directly
> instead of hardcoding the upper bits. Also add a WARN_ON_ONCE if neither
> PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK nor PFERR_GUEST_PAGE_MASK is set, as this would
> indicate a bug in the page fault handling code.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Kevin Cheng <chengkev@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h |  2 ++
>  arch/x86/kvm/mmu/paging_tmpl.h  | 22 ++++++++++------------
>  arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c       | 19 +++++++++++++------
>  3 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
> index ff07c45e3c731..454f84660edfc 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
> +++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/kvm_host.h
> @@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ enum x86_intercept_stage;
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_RMP_MASK	BIT_ULL(31)
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK	BIT_ULL(32)
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_PAGE_MASK	BIT_ULL(33)
> +#define PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK \
> +	(PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK | PFERR_GUEST_PAGE_MASK)
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_ENC_MASK	BIT_ULL(34)
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_SIZEM_MASK	BIT_ULL(35)
>  #define PFERR_GUEST_VMPL_MASK	BIT_ULL(36)
> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/paging_tmpl.h b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/paging_tmpl.h
> index 37eba7dafd14f..f148c92b606ba 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/paging_tmpl.h
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/mmu/paging_tmpl.h
> @@ -385,18 +385,12 @@ static int FNAME(walk_addr_generic)(struct guest_walker *walker,
>  		real_gpa = kvm_translate_gpa(vcpu, mmu, gfn_to_gpa(table_gfn),
>  					     nested_access, &walker->fault);
>  
> -		/*
> -		 * FIXME: This can happen if emulation (for of an INS/OUTS
> -		 * instruction) triggers a nested page fault.  The exit
> -		 * qualification / exit info field will incorrectly have
> -		 * "guest page access" as the nested page fault's cause,
> -		 * instead of "guest page structure access".  To fix this,
> -		 * the x86_exception struct should be augmented with enough
> -		 * information to fix the exit_qualification or exit_info_1
> -		 * fields.
> -		 */
> -		if (unlikely(real_gpa == INVALID_GPA))
> +		if (unlikely(real_gpa == INVALID_GPA)) {
> +#if PTTYPE != PTTYPE_EPT

I would rather swap the order of patches two and three, so that we end up with
a "positive" if-statement.  I.e. add EPT first so that we get (spoiler alert):

#if PTTYPE == PTTYPE_EPT
			walker->fault.exit_qualification |= EPT_VIOLATION_GVA_IS_VALID;
#else
			walker->fault.error_code |= PFERR_GUEST_PAGE_MASK;
#endif

> diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
> index de90b104a0dd5..1013e814168b5 100644
> --- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
> +++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
> @@ -40,18 +40,25 @@ static void nested_svm_inject_npf_exit(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
>  	struct vmcb *vmcb = svm->vmcb;
>  
>  	if (vmcb->control.exit_code != SVM_EXIT_NPF) {
> -		/*
> -		 * TODO: track the cause of the nested page fault, and
> -		 * correctly fill in the high bits of exit_info_1.
> -		 */
> -		vmcb->control.exit_code = SVM_EXIT_NPF;
> -		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 = (1ULL << 32);
> +		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 = fault->error_code;
>  		vmcb->control.exit_info_2 = fault->address;
>  	}
>  
> +	vmcb->control.exit_code = SVM_EXIT_NPF;
>  	vmcb->control.exit_info_1 &= ~0xffffffffULL;
>  	vmcb->control.exit_info_1 |= fault->error_code;
>  
> +	/*
> +	 * All nested page faults should be annotated as occurring on the
> +	 * final translation *or* the page walk. Arbitrarily choose "final"
> +	 * if KVM is buggy and enumerated both or neither.
> +	 */
> +	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(hweight64(vmcb->control.exit_info_1 &
> +				   PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK) != 1)) {
> +		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 &= ~PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK;
> +		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 |= PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK;
> +	}

This is all kinds of messy.  KVM _appears_ to still rely on the hardware-reported
address + error_code

	if (vmcb->control.exit_code != SVM_EXIT_NPF) {
		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 = fault->error_code;
		vmcb->control.exit_info_2 = fault->address;
	}

But then drops bits 31:0 in favor of the fault error code.  Then even more
bizarrely, bitwise-ORs bits 63:32 and WARNs if multiple bits in
PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK are set.  In practice, the bitwise-OR of 63:32 is
_only_ going to affect PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK, because the other defined
bits are all specific to SNP, and KVM doesn't support nested virtualization for
SEV+.

So I don't understand why this isn't simply:

	vmcb->control.exit_code = SVM_EXIT_NPF;
	vmcb->control.exit_info_1 = fault->error_code;

	/*
	 * All nested page faults should be annotated as occurring on the
	 * final translation *or* the page walk. Arbitrarily choose "final"
	 * if KVM is buggy and enumerated both or neither.
	 */
	if (WARN_ON_ONCE(hweight64(vmcb->control.exit_info_1 &
				   PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK) != 1)) {
		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 &= ~PFERR_GUEST_FAULT_STAGE_MASK;
		vmcb->control.exit_info_1 |= PFERR_GUEST_FINAL_MASK;
	}

Which would more or less align with the proposed nEPT handling.

> +
>  	nested_svm_vmexit(svm);
>  }
>  
> -- 
> 2.53.0.414.gf7e9f6c205-goog
>