CVE-2017-12188
Description
The Linux kernel built with the KVM visualization support (CONFIG_KVM), with nested visualization(nVMX) feature enabled (nested=1), was vulnerable to a stack buffer overflow issue. The vulnerability could occur while traversing guest page table entries to resolve guest virtual address(gva). An L1 guest could use this flaw to crash the host kernel resulting in denial of service (DoS) or potentially execute arbitrary code on the host to gain privileges on the system.
Statement
This issue does not affect the versions of the kernel package as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6 and Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.6 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | High | N/A |
| Privileges Required | High | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Changed | Changed | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | High | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.5 | 6.9 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | Local | N/A |
| Access Complexity | High | Medium | N/A |
| Authentication | Single | None | N/A |
| Confidentiality Impact | Complete | Complete | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | Complete | Complete | N/A |
| Availability Impact | Complete | Complete | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: AV:A/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
NVD: AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
Buffer overflows generally lead to crashes. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Bypass Protection Mechanism
Buffer overflows often can be used to execute arbitrary code, which is usually outside the scope of a program's implicit security policy.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control,Other
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Bypass Protection Mechanism; Other
When the consequence is arbitrary code execution, this can often be used to subvert any other security service.
Frequently Asked Questions
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