riscv: errata: select RISCV_ALTERNATIVE_EARLY for THEAD GHOSTWRITE
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: riscv: errata: select RISCV_ALTERNATIVE_EARLY for THEAD GHOSTWRITE errata_probe_ghostwrite() only marks the CPU as vulnerable when it is called at the RISCV_ALTERNATIVES_EARLY_BOOT stage, and the mitigation in ghostwrite_enable_mitigation() only takes effect if the vulnerable state was recorded before the boot alternatives are patched. The early boot stage is only executed when CONFIG_RISCV_ALTERNATIVE_EARLY is enabled, which currently is only selected by ERRATA_THEAD_MAE. In a kernel built with ERRATA_THEAD_GHOSTWRITE=y but ERRATA_THEAD_MAE=n, the early alternatives never run, so ghostwrite_state is never set to VULNERABLE: ghostwrite_enable_mitigation() returns false, xtheadvector remains enabled, and sysfs reports "Not affected" on a vulnerable T-Head C9xx CPU. Select RISCV_ALTERNATIVE_EARLY from ERRATA_THEAD_GHOSTWRITE so that the vulnerability is detected in the early boot stage and the default mitigation is applied.
CVE-2026-99017
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-99017
Linux
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Linux
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/1/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "4bf97069239bcfca9840936313c7ac35a6e04488",
"lessThan": "fa465a7819ecbe5801b78c088d3cadaf2664b8ca",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "4bf97069239bcfca9840936313c7ac35a6e04488",
"lessThan": "7fee577a2fa78b9a76da015beec1ccf978746ebb",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "4bf97069239bcfca9840936313c7ac35a6e04488",
"lessThan": "298510bbc7c3017c0faf481c6ea66f1065b657b4",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"arch/riscv/Kconfig.errata"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "6.14"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "6.14",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.57",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.11",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"arch/riscv/Kconfig.errata"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]- Related CVEs
- CVE-2026-99017
Source reference:
/cveMetadata/cveId
Publisher severity
high
Source reference: /containers/cna/metrics
- Event
- #55734 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date