Linux kernel KVM on arm64 is widely deployed in cloud and enterprise; vulnerability can enable VM escape or host compromise.
CVE-2026-72278
KVM arm64 bug may allow guest-induced host memory corruption and VM escape.
Is CVE-2026-72278 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-72278 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 0.19% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-72278?
CVE-2026-72278 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.3. 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-2026-72278?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-72278. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-72278 affect?
CVE-2026-72278 affects Linux kernel (KVM on arm64), KVM hypervisors on arm64 hosts, Cloud providers using arm64 VMs. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-72278?
Apply kernel/KVM security updates immediately; isolate untrusted VMs until patched.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
A guest VM can trigger incorrect host mappings causing host kernel memory corruption, crashes, or privilege escalation/VM escape.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 2a359e072596fcb2e9e85017a865e3618a2fe5b5 and < ea7a76d7d614b5f82b4d0785f9af3550e860a71a
- affected>= 2a359e072596fcb2e9e85017a865e3618a2fe5b5 and < 0a5dd8cf4d58ea28da132c2097cd1c525302ac48
- affected>= 2a359e072596fcb2e9e85017a865e3618a2fe5b5 and < bb645aa0a4caeaf7f9cd32e9a948594d434c1a8f
- affected6.16
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.