Speculative execution attacks in KVM VMX
A regression exists in the Linux Kernel within KVM: nVMX that allowed for speculative execution attacks. L2 can carry out Spectre v2 attacks on L1 due to L1 thinking it doesn't need retpolines or IBPB after running L2 due to KVM (L0) advertising eIBRS support to L1. An attacker at L2 with code execution can execute code on an indirect branch on the host machine. We recommend upgrading to Kernel 6.2 or applying the relevant stable backports (v5.4.233, v5.10.170, v5.15.96, v6.1.14).
- BDU:2022-07509
- ALSA-2023:2148
- ALSA-2023:2458
- ALSA-2023:2736
- ALSA-2023:2951
- DLA-3404-1
- RHSA-2023:2148
- RHSA-2023:2458
- RHSA-2023:2736
- RHSA-2023:2951
- RHSA-2024:0930
- SUSE-SU-2023:2140-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2141-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2146-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2147-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2148-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2231-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2646-1
- SUSE-SU-2023:2809-1
- Published
- Jan 9, 2023
- Updated
- Aug 7, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.3% · 19th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-1188
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Report tools
Action score
35
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 8.8
- CNA · Google
- 5.8
- 3.0 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- debian debian linux10.0
- linux linux kernel5.4.47 and later · before 5.4.233
- linux linux kernel5.6.19 and later · before 5.7
- linux linux kernel5.7.3 and later · before 5.10.170
- linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.96
- linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.14
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Google). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux Kernel
- 6.2.0not affected
- 64b8f33b2e1e687d465b5cb382e7bec495f1e026 and later · before f93a1a5bdcdd122aae0a3eab7a52c15b71fb725baffected · git
- e089a83fbc55b8057f332c00f125acaa02b08ef7 and later · before 2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5affected · git
- 02a3868d18fe639363f1cea6e6d7914513198e43 and later · before 2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5affected · git
- 5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 and later · before 1b0cafaae8884726c597caded50af185ffc13349affected · git
- 5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 and later · before 6b539a7dbb49250f92515c2ba60aea239efc9e35affected · git
- 5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 and later · before 63fada296062e91ad9f871970d4e7f19e21a6a15affected · git
- 5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 and later · before 2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5affected · git
- 5.4.47 and later · before 5.4.233affected · semver
- 5.6.19 and later · before 5.7.0affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:8 | bpftool | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-abi-stablelists | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-core | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-cross-headers | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-debug | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-debug-core | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-debug-devel | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-debug-modules | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-debug-modules-extra | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-devel | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-doc | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-modules | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-modules-extra | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-core | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug-core | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug-devel | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug-kvm | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug-modules | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-debug-modules-extra | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-devel | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | kernel-rt-kvm | before 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 | 4.18.0-477.10.1.rt7.274.el8_8 |
+96
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux Kernel | 1b0cafaae8884726c597caded50af185ffc13349 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 5.10.170 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 5.15.96 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 5.4.233 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 5.7.0 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 5.8.0 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 6.1.14 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 63fada296062e91ad9f871970d4e7f19e21a6a15 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | 6b539a7dbb49250f92515c2ba60aea239efc9e35 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux Kernel | f93a1a5bdcdd122aae0a3eab7a52c15b71fb725b | Vendor (CNA) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-core | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-core | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-devel | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-kvm | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-modules | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-modules-core | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-debug-modules-extra | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-devel | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-kvm | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:kernel-rt-modules | 5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.15-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux-5.10 | 5.10.178-3~deb10u1 · Debian:10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:dtb-aarch64 | 5.14.21-150400.24.63.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:kernel-default | 5.14.21-150400.24.63.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:kernel-default-base | 5.14.21-150400.24.63.1.150400.24.27.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt | 0:5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::nfv | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-core | 0:5.14.0-284.11.1.rt14.296.el9_2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::nfv | Package registry (OSV) |
+19
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
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-1188 · Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure DefaultCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
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/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=1b0cafaae8884726c597caded50af185ffc13349
- git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=63fada296062e91ad9f871970d4e7f19e21a6a15
- git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=6b539a7dbb49250f92515c2ba60aea239efc9e35
- git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=f93a1a5bdcdd122aae0a3eab7a52c15b71fb725b
- git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5
- kernel.dance/#2e7eab81425a
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/05/msg00005.html
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230223-0002/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.