Impact
The Linux kernel KVM hypervisor for x86 has a concurrency bug in the __get_sregs2() function: reading the PDPTR registers is performed without the required SRCU protection, which can trigger access to guest memory while the memslots are not properly locked. This unsynchronized access falls under CWE‑362 that can lead to memory corruption or a crash in the host kernel if an attacker exploits the race condition. The kernel emits a lockdep warning about suspicious RCU usage, indicating that the code path is operating outside the expected synchronization guarantees.
Affected Systems
All Linux kernels that include the KVM hypervisor for x86 but do not contain the SRCU guard in __get_sregs2() are affected. The vendor list specifies Linux:Linux, indicating that any distribution shipping an unpatched Linux kernel build is susceptible until the patch is applied. No specific distribution or version numbers are provided, so operators should check whether their kernel revision predates the change that added SRCU protection.
Risk and Exploitability
The CVSS score of 7.8 denotes a high severity vulnerability, while the EPSS score of less than 1% suggests a low probability of real‑world exploitation. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The most likely attack vector involves the KVM ioctl interface, either from a privileged host process or a guest that can influence the host via a crafted ioctl call. In the event of exploitation, an attacker could cause a kernel memory corruption or a denial‑of‑service, compromising the host’s integrity and availability.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Ubuntu USN