CVE-2024-58083: KVM: Explicitly verify target vCPU is online in kvm_get_vcpu()

Published Mar 6, 2025
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: Explicitly verify target vCPU is online in kvmgetvcpu()

Explicitly verify the target vCPU is fully online prior to clamping the index in kvmgetvcpu(). 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 onlinevcpus 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 kvmvmioctlcreatevcpu() bails out of vCPU creation due to an error and frees vCPU0. Commit afb2acb2e3a3 ("KVM: Fix vcpuarray[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 vcpuarray[0] UAF race.

Other sources

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: Explicitly verify target vCPU is online in kvmgetvcpu()

Explicitly verify the target vCPU is fully online prior to clamping the index in kvmgetvcpu(). 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 onlinevcpus 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 kvmvmioctlcreatevcpu() bails out of vCPU creation due to an error and frees vCPU0. Commit afb2acb2e3a3 ("KVM: Fix vcpuarray[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 vcpuarray[0] UAF race.

IBM

Affected Software

14 affected components
Linux Kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=4.14.120<4.15
Linux Linux kernel>=4.19.44<4.20
Linux Linux kernel>=5.0.17<5.4.291
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.235
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.179
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.129
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.78
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.14
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.13.3
IBM Verify Identity Access<=11.0 - 11.0.2
IBM Security Verify Access<=10.0 - 10.0.9.1
IBM Verify Identity Access Container<=11.0 - 11.0.2
IBM Security Verify Access Container<=10.0 - 10.0.9.1

Event History

Mar 6, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:13 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:13 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·05:01 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jul 8, 2026
Data Sourced
via IBM·12:00 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-58083?

The severity of CVE-2024-58083 is considered to be high due to potential exploitation affecting kernel operations.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-58083?

To fix CVE-2024-58083, update your Linux kernel to the latest version where the vulnerability has been patched.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2024-58083?

CVE-2024-58083 affects all versions of the Linux kernel prior to the patch that addresses this vulnerability.

4

What impact does CVE-2024-58083 have?

CVE-2024-58083 can lead to unauthorized access to vCPU management functions, potentially compromising system stability.

5

When was CVE-2024-58083 made public?

CVE-2024-58083 was publicly disclosed when the associated patch was released, enabling users to become aware of the issue.

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