CVE-2024-53135
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) subsystem. In guest/host mode for Intel Processor Trace (Intel PT), the hypervisor fails to properly validate virtual processor configurations and manage tracing states during virtual machine transitions. A local user or guest administrator can exploit this issue by supplying unsupported processor configurations or invalid tracing states. This flaw can trigger hardware errors and deadlocks, leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) and host or guest instability.
Mitigation
Ensure Intel Processor Trace (Intel PT) guest/host virtualization mode is disabled by configuring the kvm_intel module to use system mode (`pt_mode=0`), which is the default setting.
1. Check the current module configuration:
bashIf the output is `0`, guest/host mode is not active and the host is not exposed.
cat /sys/module/kvm_intel/parameters/pt_mode
2. If the value is `1`, disable the feature by configuring `/etc/modprobe.d/kvm-intel.conf`:
bash
echo "options kvm_intel pt_mode=0" > /etc/modprobe.d/kvm-intel.conf
3. To apply the setting without rebooting the system, reload the kvm_intel module:
bash
modprobe -r kvm_intel
modprobe kvm_intel
Warning: Unloading and reloading the `kvm_intel` module requires terminating all active virtual machines running on the hypervisor. Setting `pt_mode=0` prevents guest operating systems from utilizing Intel Processor Trace capabilities.
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 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 8.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | Low |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Changed | Changed | Changed |
| Confidentiality | None | None | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity
Technical Impact: Read Application Data; Modify Application Data; Read Files or Directories; Modify Files or Directories
An attacker could gain access to or modify sensitive data or system resources. This could allow access to protected files or directories including configuration files and files containing sensitive information.
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