Zapscape: A New KVM Escape Lets Guests Take Over the Host

Zapscape (CVE-2026-64561)

Zapscape: A New KVM Escape Lets Guests Take Over the Host

Security researcher Hyunwoo Kim (@v4bel) has published Zapscape (CVE-2026-64561), a use-after-free vulnerability in KVM/x86's shadow MMU that allows a guest to escape to the host and execute code with kernel privileges. The bug, triggered solely by guest actions, affects Linux kernels from 2020 to 2026 and threatens multi-tenant clouds exposing nested virtualization. The PoC runs under QEMU TCG and demonstrates full compromise, creating a root-owned file on the host. The disclosure follows an embargo agreed with linux-distros.

Winter is coming.
  1. minimaltom

    Oh yay another one lol. This one seems much more general than the prior one that needed nested page tables.

    Patch Thursday for cloud VM ppl lol

  2. rvz

    Another serious critical vulnerability that almost no-one cares about, when they should.

  3. inigyou

    Every LLM bug in the Linux kernel (warehouse rave edit).

    (This comment is a reference to https://youtu.be/v1Mfirg2-Z8

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2026-08-06