CVE-2022-49559

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: x86: Drop WARNs that assert a triple fault never "escapes" from L2 Remove WARNs that sanity check that KVM never lets a triple fault for L2 escape and incorrectly end up in L1. In normal operation, the sanity check is perfectly valid, but it incorrectly assumes that it's impossible for userspace to induce KVM_REQ_TRIPLE_FAULT without bouncing through KVM_RUN (which guarantees kvm_check_nested_state() will see and handle the triple fault). The WARN can currently be triggered if userspace injects a machine check while L2 is active and CR4.MCE=0. And a future fix to allow save/restore of KVM_REQ_TRIPLE_FAULT, e.g. so that a synthesized triple fault isn't lost on migration, will make it trivially easy for userspace to trigger the WARN. Clearing KVM_REQ_TRIPLE_FAULT when forcibly leaving guest mode is tempting, but wrong, especially if/when the request is saved/restored, e.g. if userspace restores events (including a triple fault) and then restores nested state (which may forcibly leave guest mode). Ignoring the fact that KVM doesn't currently provide the necessary APIs, it's userspace's responsibility to manage pending events during save/restore. ------------[ cut here ]------------ WARNING: CPU: 7 PID: 1399 at arch/x86/kvm/vmx/nested.c:4522 nested_vmx_vmexit+0x7fe/0xd90 [kvm_intel] Modules linked in: kvm_intel kvm irqbypass CPU: 7 PID: 1399 Comm: state_test Not tainted 5.17.0-rc3+ #808 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:nested_vmx_vmexit+0x7fe/0xd90 [kvm_intel] Call Trace: <TASK> vmx_leave_nested+0x30/0x40 [kvm_intel] vmx_set_nested_state+0xca/0x3e0 [kvm_intel] kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl+0xf49/0x13e0 [kvm] kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x4b9/0x660 [kvm] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x83/0xb0 do_syscall_64+0x3b/0xc0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae </TASK> ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2025-02-26
Last modified 2025-10-22
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.13 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.45, 5.17.13, 5.18.2, 5.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.13
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.45 5.15.x ✓ 5.17.13 5.17.x ✓ 5.18.2 5.18.x ✓ 5.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2022-49559 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2022-49559?

    CVE-2022-49559 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.13 onward and has been patched in 5.15.45, 5.17.13, 5.18.2 and others. CVE-2022-49559 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2022-49559?

    CVE-2022-49559 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2022-49559?

    Yes — CVE-2022-49559 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.45, 5.17.13, 5.18.2 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2022-49559 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2022-49559 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.