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MediumFix available

xen — security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVAdvisory ID: ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611

For XSA-308 logic was introduced, as VMX VMEntry checks do not like the exact combination of state which occurs when #DB in intercepted, Single Stepping is active, and blocked by STI/MovSS is active, despite this being a legitimate state to be in. The resulting VMEntry failure is fatal to the guest. Sadly there is another special sub-case of the above, with branch tracing enabled. In that case the prior adjustment would still cause a VMentry failure, as before fatal to the guest.

Products
xen
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
4.19.6-r2, 4.20.4-r2, 4.21.2-r2
CVEs
CVE-2026-79611
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
1 Nov 2026, 02:32 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611

core-osv · Original source

Published 13 Oct 2026, 16:17 UTC

For XSA-308 logic was introduced, as VMX VMEntry checks do not like the exact combination of state which occurs when #DB in intercepted, Single Stepping is active, and blocked by STI/MovSS is active, despite this being a legitimate state to be in. The resulting VMEntry failure is fatal to the guest. Sadly there is another special sub-case of the above, with branch tracing enabled. In that case the prior adjustment would still cause a VMentry failure, as before fatal to the guest.

osv:ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611

xen

Fixed versions: 4.19.6-r2

xen

Fixed versions: 4.20.4-r2

xen

Fixed versions: 4.20.4-r2

xen

Fixed versions: 4.21.2-r2

Complete source record
{
  "id": "95c5e21ee67863573c97742b3a3ea2ddbe62c0e0b7e0355160ac15469bb0cfd7",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611",
    "summary": "For XSA-308 logic was introduced, as VMX VMEntry checks do not like the exact combination of state which occurs when #DB in intercepted, Single Stepping is active, and blocked by STI/MovSS is active, despite this being a legitimate state to be in. The resulting VMEntry failure is fatal to the guest. Sadly there is another special sub-case of the above, with branch tracing enabled. In that case the prior adjustment would still cause a VMentry failure, as before fatal to the guest.",
    "evidence": "osv:ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "xen",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "4.19.6-r2",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "xen",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "4.20.4-r2",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "xen",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "4.20.4-r2",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "xen",
          "evidence": "/affected/3/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "4.21.2-r2",
            "evidence": "/affected/3/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611",
      "aliases": [
        "ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "4.19.6-r2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "xen",
            "purl": "pkg:apk/alpine/xen?arch=source",
            "ecosystem": "Alpine:v3.21"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/alpine/ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {}
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "4.20.4-r2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "xen",
            "purl": "pkg:apk/alpine/xen?arch=source",
            "ecosystem": "Alpine:v3.22"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/alpine/ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {}
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "4.20.4-r2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "xen",
            "purl": "pkg:apk/alpine/xen?arch=source",
            "ecosystem": "Alpine:v3.23"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/alpine/ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {}
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "4.21.2-r2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "xen",
            "purl": "pkg:apk/alpine/xen?arch=source",
            "ecosystem": "Alpine:v3.24"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/alpine/ALPINE-CVE-2026-79611.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {}
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-23T18:30:03.151038925Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2026-79611"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2026-79611"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-79611",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 424585,
  "published_at": "2026-10-13T16:17:23.347+00:00"
}