[PATCH] KVM: nSVM: Ensure AVIC is inhibited when restoring a vCPU to guest mode

From: Yosry Ahmed

Date: Tue Feb 24 2026 - 17:55:27 EST


On nested VMRUN, KVM ensures AVIC is inhibited by requesting
KVM_REQ_APICV_UPDATE, triggering a check of inhibit reasons, finding
APICV_INHIBIT_REASON_NESTED, and disabling AVIC.

However, when KVM_SET_NESTED_STATE is performed on a vCPU not in guest
mode with AVIC enabled, KVM_REQ_APICV_UPDATE is not requested, and AVIC
is not inhibited.

Request KVM_REQ_APICV_UPDATE in the KVM_SET_NESTED_STATE path if AVIC is
active, similar to the nested VMRUN path.

Fixes: f44509f849fe ("KVM: x86: SVM: allow AVIC to co-exist with a nested guest running")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Yosry Ahmed <yosry@xxxxxxxxxx>
---

After the dust settles from all the inflight changes touching this area,
we really need to reuse enter_svm_guest_mode() in svm_set_nested_state()
imo. There are a few differences that will need to be addressed:

1. nested_vmcb02_prepare_save() needs to be skipped.

2. nested_svm_copy_common_state() may need to be skipped (or honestly,
just folded into nested_vmcb02_prepare_save()?).

2. The CR3 value passed to nested_svm_load_cr3() needs to change.

3. Need to check if calling nested_svm_hv_update_vm_vp_ids() is
okay/needed (might be another bug actually).

I think mostly likely we'll pass a boolean arg to
enter_svm_guest_mode(), something like use_cached_save, and key 1 to 3
off of it. I don't like it (smells like from_vmrun), but it's the
simplest way to avoid bugs like this in the future.

---
arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c | 3 +++
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
index de90b104a0dd5..82e512631e514 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c
@@ -1922,6 +1922,9 @@ static int svm_set_nested_state(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,

svm->nested.force_msr_bitmap_recalc = true;

+ if (kvm_vcpu_apicv_active(vcpu))
+ kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_APICV_UPDATE, vcpu);
+
kvm_make_request(KVM_REQ_GET_NESTED_STATE_PAGES, vcpu);
ret = 0;
out_free:
--
2.53.0.414.gf7e9f6c205-goog