The vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel’s SEV‑guest subsystem. When either set_memory_encrypted() or set_memory_decrypted() fails, the function does not indicate at which point the failure occurred, causing pages to remain in an unknown state. Because those pages may stay unencrypted, they can be reused or handed to user space in a form that leaks sensitive data, representing a confidentiality breach identified as CWE‑212.

All Linux kernel builds that include SEV‑guest support are affected, as the code path handling memory encryption exists broadly in the kernel. No specific kernel releases are listed, so any kernel version prior to the implementation of the fix is considered vulnerable.

The CVSS score of 8.7 indicates high severity, but the EPSS score of less than 1% shows an extremely low probability of exploitation. The flaw is local to privileged kernel code, so it requires access to kernel execution to trigger; it is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The likely attack vector is a compromised kernel module or local privileged user attempting to manipulate memory encryption, which could cause confidential data to be exposed if pages are inadvertently released.