[PATCH v3 01/10] KVM: VMX: Refresh GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS.BS on all injected #DBs
From: Sean Christopherson
Date: Fri May 15 2026 - 18:27:46 EST
Move KVM's stuffing of GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS.BS when RFLAGS.TF=1 and
MOV/POP SS or STI blocking is active into the exception injection code so
that KVM fixes up the VMCS for all injected #DBs, not only those that are
reflected back into the guest after #DB interception. E.g. if KVM queues
a #DB in the emulator, or more importantly if userspace does save/restore
exactly on the #DB+shadow boundary, then KVM needs to massage the VMCS to
avoid the VM-Entry consistency check.
Opportunistically update the wording of the comment to describe the
behavior as a workaround of flawed CPU behavior/architecture, to make it
clear that the *only* thing KVM is doing is fudging around a consistency
check. Per the SDM:
There are no pending debug exceptions after VM entry if any of the
following are true:
* The VM entry is vectoring with one of the following interruption
types: external interrupt, non-maskable interrupt (NMI), hardware
exception, or privileged software exception.
I.e. forcing GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS.BS does *not* impact guest-
visible behavior.
Fixes: b9bed78e2fa9 ("KVM: VMX: Set vmcs.PENDING_DBG.BS on #DB in STI/MOVSS blocking shadow")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reported-by: Hou Wenlong <houwenlong.hwl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/b1a294bc9ed4dae532474a5dc6c8cb6e5962de7c.1757416809.git.houwenlong.hwl@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c | 35 ++++++++++++++++++-----------------
1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 17 deletions(-)
diff --git a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
index 1701db1b2e18..a0a0ccf342d3 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kvm/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -1909,6 +1909,24 @@ void vmx_inject_exception(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
u32 intr_info = ex->vector | INTR_INFO_VALID_MASK;
struct vcpu_vmx *vmx = to_vmx(vcpu);
+ /*
+ * When injecting a #DB, single-stepping is enabled in RFLAGS, and STI
+ * or MOV-SS blocking is active, set vmcs.PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS.BS to
+ * prevent a false positive from VM-Entry consistency check. VM-Entry
+ * asserts that a single-step #DB _must_ be pending in this scenario,
+ * as the previous instruction cannot have toggled RFLAGS.TF 0=>1
+ * (because STI and POP/MOV don't modify RFLAGS), therefore the one
+ * instruction delay when activating single-step breakpoints must have
+ * already expired. However, the CPU isn't smart enough to peek at
+ * vmcs.VM_ENTRY_INTR_INFO_FIELD and so doesn't realize that yes, there
+ * is indeed a #DB pending/imminent.
+ */
+ if (ex->vector == DB_VECTOR &&
+ (vmx_get_rflags(vcpu) & X86_EFLAGS_TF) &&
+ vmx_get_interrupt_shadow(vcpu))
+ vmcs_writel(GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS,
+ vmcs_readl(GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS) | DR6_BS);
+
kvm_deliver_exception_payload(vcpu, ex);
if (ex->has_error_code) {
@@ -5485,26 +5503,9 @@ static int handle_exception_nmi(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
* avoid single-step #DB and MTF updates, as ICEBP is
* higher priority. Note, skipping ICEBP still clears
* STI and MOVSS blocking.
- *
- * For all other #DBs, set vmcs.PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS.BS
- * if single-step is enabled in RFLAGS and STI or MOVSS
- * blocking is active, as the CPU doesn't set the bit
- * on VM-Exit due to #DB interception. VM-Entry has a
- * consistency check that a single-step #DB is pending
- * in this scenario as the previous instruction cannot
- * have toggled RFLAGS.TF 0=>1 (because STI and POP/MOV
- * don't modify RFLAGS), therefore the one instruction
- * delay when activating single-step breakpoints must
- * have already expired. Note, the CPU sets/clears BS
- * as appropriate for all other VM-Exits types.
*/
if (is_icebp(intr_info))
WARN_ON(!skip_emulated_instruction(vcpu));
- else if ((vmx_get_rflags(vcpu) & X86_EFLAGS_TF) &&
- (vmcs_read32(GUEST_INTERRUPTIBILITY_INFO) &
- (GUEST_INTR_STATE_STI | GUEST_INTR_STATE_MOV_SS)))
- vmcs_writel(GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS,
- vmcs_readl(GUEST_PENDING_DBG_EXCEPTIONS) | DR6_BS);
kvm_queue_exception_p(vcpu, DB_VECTOR, dr6);
return 1;
--
2.54.0.563.g4f69b47b94-goog