CVE-2022-49886

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.14%

Last modified

CVE-2022-49886 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/tdx: Panic on bad configs that #VE on "private" memory access All normal kernel memory is "TDX private memory". This includes everything from kernel stacks to kernel text. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/tdx: Panic on bad configs that #VE on "private" memory access All normal kernel memory is "TDX private memory". This includes everything from kernel stacks to kernel text. Handling exceptions on arbitrary accesses to kernel memory is essentially impossible because they can happen in horribly nasty places like kernel entry/exit. But, TDX hardware can theoretically _deliver_ a virtualization exception (#VE) on any access to private memory. But, it's not as bad as it sounds. TDX can be configured to never deliver these exceptions on private memory with a "TD attribute" called ATTR_SEPT_VE_DISABLE. The guest has no way to *set* this attribute, but it can check it. Ensure ATTR_SEPT_VE_DISABLE is set in early boot. panic() if it is unset. There is no sane way for Linux to run with this attribute clear so a panic() is appropriate. There's small window during boot before the check where kernel has an early #VE handler. But the handler is only for port I/O and will also panic() as soon as it sees any other #VE, such as a one generated by a private memory access. [ dhansen: Rewrite changelog and rebase on new tdx_parse_tdinfo(). Add Kirill's tested-by because I made changes since he wrote this. ]

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.14%

3.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 5.19, < 6.0.8
LinuxLinux Kernel6.1Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-49886?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/tdx: Panic on bad configs that #VE on "private" memory access All normal kernel memory is "TDX private memory". This includes everything from kernel stacks to kernel text. Handling exceptions on arbitrary accesses to kernel memory is essentially impossible because they can happen in horribly nasty places like kernel entry/exit. But, TDX hardware can theoretically _deliver_ a virtualization exception (#VE) on any access to private memory. But, it's not as bad as it sounds. TDX can be configured to never deliver these exceptions on private memory with a "TD attribute" called ATTR_SEPT_VE_DISABLE. The guest has no way to *set* this attribute, but it can check it. Ensure ATTR_SEPT_VE_DISABLE is set in early boot. panic() if it is unset. There is no sane way for Linux to run with this attribute clear so a panic() is appropriate. There's small window during boot before the check where kernel has an early #VE handler. But the handler is only for port I/O and will also panic() as soon as it sees any other #VE, such as a one generated by a private memory access. [ dhansen: Rewrite changelog and rebase on new tdx_parse_tdinfo(). Add Kirill's tested-by because I made changes since he wrote this. ]
How severe is CVE-2022-49886?
CVE-2022-49886 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.14% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49886?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2022-49886?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST