The em_sysenter function in arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c in the Linux kernel before 3.18.5, when the guest OS lacks SYSENTER MSR initialization, a
The em_sysenter function in arch/x86/kvm/emulate.c in the Linux kernel before 3.18.5, when the guest OS lacks SYSENTER MSR initialization, allows guest OS users to gain guest OS privileges or cause a denial of service (guest OS crash) by triggering use of a 16-bit code segment for emulation of a SYSENTER instruction.
- Published
- Mar 2, 2015
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.6% · 49th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-269
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Report tools
Action score
17
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 17 / 40 · 4.4 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.6%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| oracle | linux | cpe:2.3:o:oracle:linux |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical ubuntu linux12.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.10
- debian debian linux7.0
- debian debian linux8.0
- linux linux kernelbefore 3.18.5
- oracle linux5
- oracle linux7
- redhat enterprise linux desktop6.0
- redhat enterprise linux server6.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation6.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 3.16.7-ckt4-2 | 3.16.7-ckt4-2 |
| Debian:7 | linux | before 3.2.65-1+deb7u2 | 3.2.65-1+deb7u2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-abi-whitelists | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug-devel | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-devel | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-doc | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-firmware | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-headers | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | perf | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | perf-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | python-perf | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | python-perf-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-bootwrapper | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-kdump | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-kdump-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-kdump-devel | before 0:2.6.32-573.el6 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 |
+25
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
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- CVE-2016-5195Race condition in mm/gup.c in the Linux kernel 2.x through 4.x before 4.8.3 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging incorrect haKEV83Now
- CVE-2019-13272In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to creKEV77This week
- CVE-2013-6282The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the v6k and v7 ARM platforms do not validate certain addKEV77This week
- CVE-2013-2094The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9 uses an incorrect integer data type, which allows loKEV77This week
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:linux | 3.16.7-ckt4-2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-abi-whitelists | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debug | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debug-debuginfo | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debug-devel | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debuginfo | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-devel | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:perf-debuginfo | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:python-perf | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:python-perf-debuginfo | 0:2.6.32-573.el6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
If successful
- Confidentiality
- P · data can be read
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- M
- Confidentiality impact
- P
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege ManagementCVSS vector
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
nvd-primary
Root cause
To simplify setup, a service account is granted broad, cluster-wide permissions. The principle of least privilege is skipped during installation.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-269 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
kind: ClusterRolerules: - apiGroups: ["*"] resources: ["*"] verbs: ["*"]Fixed
kind: Rolemetadata: namespace: lodos-systemrules: - apiGroups: ["apps"] resources: ["deployments"] verbs: ["get", "list", "update"]Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=f3747379accba8e95d70cec0eae0582c8c182050
- permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.commits.head/502245
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1272.html
- www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3170
- www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.18.5
- www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2015:058
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinjan2016-2867209.html
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/72842
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2513-1
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2514-1
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2515-1
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2516-1
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2517-1
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2518-1
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1186448
- github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/f3747379accba8e95d70cec0eae0582c8c182050
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.