vfio/pci: fix memory leak during D3hot to D0 transition
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.26% (FIRST EPSS).
- 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.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 26ddd196e9eb264da8e1bdc4df8a94d62581c8b5, 4319f17fb8264ba39352b611dfa913a4d8c1d1a0, c8a1f8bd586ee31020614b8d48b702ece3e2ae44.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 26ddd196e9eb264da8e1bdc4df8a94d62581c8b5, 4319f17fb8264ba39352b611dfa913a4d8c1d1a0, c8a1f8bd586ee31020614b8d48b702ece3e2ae44 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/pci: fix memory leak during D3hot to D0 transition If 'vfio_pci_core_device::needs_pm_restore' is set (PCI device does not have No_Soft_Reset bit set in its PMCSR config register), then the current PCI state will be saved locally in 'vfio_pci_core_device::pm_save' during D0->D3hot transition and same will be restored back during D3hot->D0 transition. For saving the PCI state locally, pci_store_saved_state() is being used and the pci_load_and_free_saved_state() will free the allocated memory. But for reset related IOCTLs, vfio driver calls PCI reset-related API's which will internally change the PCI power state back to D0. So, when the guest resumes, then it will get the current state as D0 and it will skip the call to vfio_pci_set_power_state() for changing the power state to D0 explicitly. In this case, the memory pointed by 'pm_save' will never be freed. In a malicious sequence, the state changing to D3hot followed by VFIO_DEVICE_RESET/VFIO_DEVICE_PCI_HOT_RESET can be run in a loop and it can cause an OOM situation. This patch frees the earlier allocated memory first before overwriting 'pm_save' to prevent the mentioned memory leak.
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 18th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-401
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux linux kernel5.1 and later · before 5.15.33
- linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 5.16.19
- linux linux kernel5.17 and later · before 5.17.2
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 5.1affected
- 51ef3a004b1eb6241e56b3aa8495769a092a4dc2 and later · before da426ad86027b849b877d4628b277ffbbd2f5325affected · git
- 51ef3a004b1eb6241e56b3aa8495769a092a4dc2 and later · before 4319f17fb8264ba39352b611dfa913a4d8c1d1a0affected · git
- 51ef3a004b1eb6241e56b3aa8495769a092a4dc2 and later · before 26ddd196e9eb264da8e1bdc4df8a94d62581c8b5affected · git
- 51ef3a004b1eb6241e56b3aa8495769a092a4dc2 and later · before c8a1f8bd586ee31020614b8d48b702ece3e2ae44affected · git
- 51ef3a004b1eb6241e56b3aa8495769a092a4dc2 and later · before eadf88ecf6ac7d6a9f47a76c6055d9a1987a8991affected · git
- before 5.1not affected · semver
- 5.10.237 and later · up to and including 5.10.*not affected · semver
- 5.15.33 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
- 5.16.19 and later · up to and including 5.16.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:11 | linux | before 5.10.237-1 | 5.10.237-1 |
| Debian:12 | linux | before 5.17.3-1 | 5.17.3-1 |
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
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49217Feb 26, 2025 · scsi: pm8001: Fix abort all task initialization22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2022-49218Feb 26, 2025 · drm/dp: Fix OOB read when handling Post Cursor2 register28Monitor
- Later →CVE-2022-49220Feb 26, 2025 · dax: make sure inodes are flushed before destroy cache22Monitor
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 | 26ddd196e9eb264da8e1bdc4df8a94d62581c8b5 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 4319f17fb8264ba39352b611dfa913a4d8c1d1a0 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | c8a1f8bd586ee31020614b8d48b702ece3e2ae44 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | da426ad86027b849b877d4628b277ffbbd2f5325 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | eadf88ecf6ac7d6a9f47a76c6055d9a1987a8991 | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:linux | 5.17.3-1 · Debian:12 | 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.
No commit or PR link among the references.
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
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-401 · Missing Release of Memory after Effective LifetimeCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4319f17fb8264ba39352b611dfa913a4d8c1d1a0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8a1f8bd586ee31020614b8d48b702ece3e2ae44
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/da426ad86027b849b877d4628b277ffbbd2f5325
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/eadf88ecf6ac7d6a9f47a76c6055d9a1987a8991
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/05/msg00030.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.