CVE-2026-72239
Linux SEV-SNP kernel race may allow memory-protection bypass
Is CVE-2026-72239 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72239 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.17% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72239?
CVE-2026-72239 is rated Critical. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-72239?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72239. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72239 affect?
CVE-2026-72239 affects Linux kernel (x86 SEV-SNP), KVM/QEMU with SEV-SNP, AMD EPYC platforms. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72239?
Install kernel fixes for SEV-SNP, reboot affected hosts, prioritize cloud/virtualization nodes.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Race in cache flush ordering can violate SEV-SNP RMP requirements, potentially enabling guest memory disclosure or isolation bypass.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 99cf1fb58e68291d408b4c4484181cf88f081857 and < e5158ff53fdff9c229bf13aa5f75eb17cdcfcd2d
- affected>= 99cf1fb58e68291d408b4c4484181cf88f081857 and < 4c2509f3b79756679a02bea649c6a7501b58f52c
- affected7.1
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.