CVE-2022-0171
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. The existing KVM SEV API has a vulnerability that allows a non-root (host) user-level application to crash the host kernel by creating a confidential guest VM instance in AMD CPU that supports Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV).
Statement
This flaw does not affect the versions of the kernel packages as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7, as they did not include support for SEV. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 currently provides SEV as a Technology Preview. Using SEV in a production environment is discouraged. For additional details please see https://access.redhat.com/articles/4491591 and https://access.redhat.com/support/offerings/techpreview.
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).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 4.7 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories; Read Application Data
Sensitive data may be exposed to an unauthorized actor in another control sphere. This may have a wide range of secondary consequences that will depend on what data is exposed. One possibility is the exposure of system data - such as file locations, software versions, or device data - that allow an attacker to craft a specific, more effective attack. Alternately, insufficient redaction of Private Personal Information (PPI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or other types of information might not harm the secure operation of the product itself, but could be violations of expectations by the product's users.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Mingwei Zhang (Google) for reporting this issue.
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