KVM: Explicitly verify target vCPU is online in kvm_get_vcpu()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: Explicitly verify target vCPU is online in kvm_get_vcpu() Explicitly verify the target vCPU is fully online _prior_ to clamping the index in kvm_get_vcpu(). If the index is "bad", the nospec clamping will generate '0', i.e. KVM will return vCPU0 instead of NULL. In practice, the bug is unlikely to cause problems, as it will only come into play if userspace or the guest is buggy or misbehaving, e.g. KVM may send interrupts to vCPU0 instead of dropping them on the floor. However, returning vCPU0 when it shouldn't exist per online_vcpus is problematic now that KVM uses an xarray for the vCPUs array, as KVM needs to insert into the xarray before publishing the vCPU to userspace (see commit c5b077549136 ("KVM: Convert the kvm->vcpus array to a xarray")), i.e. before vCPU creation is guaranteed to succeed. As a result, incorrectly providing access to vCPU0 will trigger a use-after-free if vCPU0 is dereferenced and kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu() bails out of vCPU creation due to an error and frees vCPU0. Commit afb2acb2e3a3 ("KVM: Fix vcpu_array[0] races") papered over that issue, but in doing so introduced an unsolvable teardown conundrum. Preventing accesses to vCPU0 before it's fully online will allow reverting commit afb2acb2e3a3, without re-introducing the vcpu_array[0] UAF race.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.14.120 to before 4.15; 4.19.44 to before 4.20; 5.0.17 to before 5.1 | 4.15, 4.20, 5.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.1 and later | 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14, 6.13.3, 6.14 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.14.120 to before 4.15; 4.19.44 to before 4.20; 5.0.17 to before 5.1 Fixed in 4.15, 4.20, 5.1 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.1 and later Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14, 6.13.3, 6.14 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.14.120 to before 4.15; 4.19.44 to before 4.20; 5.0.17 to before 5.4.291; 5.5 to before 5.10.235; 5.11 to before 5.15.179; 5.16 to before 6.1.129; 6.2 to before 6.6.78; 6.7 to before 6.12.14; 6.13 to before 6.13.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.14.120 to before 4.15; 4.19.44 to before 4.20; 5.0.17 to before 5.4.291; 5.5 to before 5.10.235; 5.11 to before 5.15.179; 5.16 to before 6.1.129; 6.2 to before 6.6.78; 6.7 to before 6.12.14; 6.13 to before 6.13.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.15, 4.20, 5.1
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.4.291, 5.10.235, 5.15.179, 6.1.129, 6.6.78, 6.12.14, 6.13.3, 6.14
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2025:20518 Released 2025-11-11 · Red Hat rating Moderatekernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, libperf-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-611.5.1.el9_7 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:20518 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-58083
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-gw27-9x3h-33gj
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cce2ed69b00e022b5cdf0c49c82986abd2941a8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/09d50ccf0b2d739db4a485b08afe7520a4402a63
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7c4899239d0f70f88ac42665b3da51678d122480
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d817e510662fd1c9797952408d94806f97a5fffd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/125da53b3c0c9d7f58353aea0076e9efd6498ba7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f2f805ada63b536bc192458a7098388286568ad4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca8da90ed1432ff3d000de4f1e2275d4e7d21b96
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e7381f3617d14b3c11da80ff5f8a93ab14cfc46
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Sources
- CVE-2024-58083 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-58083 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-gw27-9x3h-33gj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2024-58083 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences