# CVE-2026-59042: Android kernel out-of-bounds write in pKVM MMU race condition

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59042-in-pkvm-pages-to-ppages-of-mmu-c-there-is-a-possible-out-of  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-02. Updated: 2026-11-02  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-59042 · Severity: info · Published 2026-11-02

The Android kernel contains a race condition in the protected KVM (pKVM) memory management unit that can allow an attacker with local access to write data outside allocated memory bounds. This vulnerability can lead to privilege escalation, potentially giving an attacker full control of the affected device without needing to exploit additional vulnerabilities.

Technologies: [Google Android kernel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/google-android-kernel). Vendors: [Google](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/google).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-59042 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-59042 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-59042?** Informational severity, published 2 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Google Android kernel versions prior to April 2026 fix.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-59042?** Yes: fixed in Android kernel commit 1569a00286640e452ce917ee8b3cec04c5cc3715 (April 2026). Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-59042 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-59042?** Check whether you run Google Android kernel at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in Android kernel commit 1569a00286640e452ce917ee8b3cec04c5cc3715 (April 2026)

## Technical details

A race condition exists in the __pkvm_pages_to_ppages function of arch/arm64/kvm/mmu.c where a userspace memory mapping can be momentarily absent under heavy memory pressure, leading to an out-of-bounds write in the pKVM stage-2 fault handling path. An attacker with local execution privileges can trigger this condition to corrupt kernel memory and escalate privilege. The fix involves catching the missing mapping error and deferring the stage-2 mapping attempt rather than proceeding with unmapped memory references.

## Affected products

- Google Android kernel versions prior to April 2026 fix

## Timeline

- 2026-11-02: disclosed

## References

- [https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/1569a00286640e452ce917ee8b3cec04c5cc3715](https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/1569a00286640e452ce917ee8b3cec04c5cc3715)
- [https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/382cffbd3842b64260993d2438926a9f2a0a447e](https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/common/+/382cffbd3842b64260993d2438926a9f2a0a447e)

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- [Android Kernel out-of-bounds read in KVM trace buffer initialization](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59048-in-rb-cpu-init-of-trace-c-there-is-a-possible-out-of-bounds-read)
- [Android Kernel KVM race condition memory corruption](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59045-in-multiple-locations-there-is-a-possible-memory-corruption-due)
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- [Android kernel out-of-bounds read/write in IOMMU](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-58844-in-multiple-locations-there-is-a-possible-out-of-bounds-read)