In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
x86/apic: Don't disable x2APIC if locked
The APIC supports two modes, legacy APIC (or xAPIC), and Extended APIC
(or x2APIC). X2APIC mode is mostly compatible with legacy APIC, but
it disables the memory-mapped APIC interface in favor of one that uses
MSRs. The APIC mode is controlled by the EXT bit in the APIC MSR.
The MMIO/xAPIC interface has some problems, most notably the APIC LEAK
[1]. This bug allows an attacker to use the APIC MMIO interface to
extract data from the SGX enclave.
Introduce support for a new feature that will allow the BIOS to lock
the APIC in x2APIC mode. If the APIC is locked in x2APIC mode and the
kernel tries to disable the APIC or revert to legacy APIC mode a GP
fault will occur.
Introduce support for a new MSR (IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS) and handle
the new locked mode when the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED bit is set by
preventing the kernel from trying to disable the x2APIC.
On platforms with the IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS MSR, if SGX or TDX are
enabled the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED will be set by the BIOS. If
legacy APIC is required, then it SGX and TDX need to be disabled in the
BIOS.
[1]: https://aepicleak.com/aepicleak.pdf
x86/apic: Don't disable x2APIC if locked
The APIC supports two modes, legacy APIC (or xAPIC), and Extended APIC
(or x2APIC). X2APIC mode is mostly compatible with legacy APIC, but
it disables the memory-mapped APIC interface in favor of one that uses
MSRs. The APIC mode is controlled by the EXT bit in the APIC MSR.
The MMIO/xAPIC interface has some problems, most notably the APIC LEAK
[1]. This bug allows an attacker to use the APIC MMIO interface to
extract data from the SGX enclave.
Introduce support for a new feature that will allow the BIOS to lock
the APIC in x2APIC mode. If the APIC is locked in x2APIC mode and the
kernel tries to disable the APIC or revert to legacy APIC mode a GP
fault will occur.
Introduce support for a new MSR (IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS) and handle
the new locked mode when the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED bit is set by
preventing the kernel from trying to disable the x2APIC.
On platforms with the IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS MSR, if SGX or TDX are
enabled the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED will be set by the BIOS. If
legacy APIC is required, then it SGX and TDX need to be disabled in the
BIOS.
[1]: https://aepicleak.com/aepicleak.pdf
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Affected Vendors & Products
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Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/apic: Don't disable x2APIC if locked The APIC supports two modes, legacy APIC (or xAPIC), and Extended APIC (or x2APIC). X2APIC mode is mostly compatible with legacy APIC, but it disables the memory-mapped APIC interface in favor of one that uses MSRs. The APIC mode is controlled by the EXT bit in the APIC MSR. The MMIO/xAPIC interface has some problems, most notably the APIC LEAK [1]. This bug allows an attacker to use the APIC MMIO interface to extract data from the SGX enclave. Introduce support for a new feature that will allow the BIOS to lock the APIC in x2APIC mode. If the APIC is locked in x2APIC mode and the kernel tries to disable the APIC or revert to legacy APIC mode a GP fault will occur. Introduce support for a new MSR (IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS) and handle the new locked mode when the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED bit is set by preventing the kernel from trying to disable the x2APIC. On platforms with the IA32_XAPIC_DISABLE_STATUS MSR, if SGX or TDX are enabled the LEGACY_XAPIC_DISABLED will be set by the BIOS. If legacy APIC is required, then it SGX and TDX need to be disabled in the BIOS. [1]: https://aepicleak.com/aepicleak.pdf | |
| Title | x86/apic: Don't disable x2APIC if locked | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2025-12-24T12:22:43.396Z
Reserved: 2025-12-24T12:20:40.329Z
Link: CVE-2022-50720
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2025-12-24T13:15:58.667
Modified: 2025-12-24T13:15:58.667
Link: CVE-2022-50720
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.