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Unscored CVE-2023-53756 EUVD-2023-60072GHSA-5h86-42q5-w9hr

KVM: VMX: Fix crash due to uninitialized current_vmcs

Published Dec 8, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.15 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.4 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-aws-fips Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.15 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.4 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-azure-fips Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.15 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.4 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gcp-fips Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.4 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-5.15 Package: linux-ibm-5.4 Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-intel-iotg Package: linux-intel-iotg-5.15 Package: linux-iot Package: linux-kvm Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-tegra Package: linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 Package: linux-nvidia-tegra-igx Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.15 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.4 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-5.4 Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.15 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Package: linux-xilinx-zynqmp Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

KVM: VMX: Fix crash due to uninitialized current_vmcs

KVM enables 'Enlightened VMCS' and 'Enlightened MSR Bitmap' when running as
a nested hypervisor on top of Hyper-V. When MSR bitmap is updated,
evmcs_touch_msr_bitmap function uses current_vmcs per-cpu variable to mark
that the msr bitmap was changed.

vmx_vcpu_create() modifies the msr bitmap via vmx_disable_intercept_for_msr
-> vmx_msr_bitmap_l01_changed which in the end calls this function. The
function checks for current_vmcs if it is null but the check is
insufficient because current_vmcs is not initialized. Because of this, the
code might incorrectly write to the structure pointed by current_vmcs value
left by another task. Preemption is not disabled, the current task can be
preempted and moved to another CPU while current_vmcs is accessed multiple
times from evmcs_touch_msr_bitmap() which leads to crash.

The manipulation of MSR bitmaps by callers happens only for vmcs01 so the
solution is to use vmx->vmcs01.vmcs instead of current_vmcs.

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000338
PGD 4e1775067 P4D 0
Oops: 0002 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI
...
RIP: 0010:vmx_msr_bitmap_l01_changed+0x39/0x50 [kvm_intel]
...
Call Trace:
vmx_disable_intercept_for_msr+0x36/0x260 [kvm_intel]
vmx_vcpu_create+0xe6/0x540 [kvm_intel]
kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x1d1/0x2e0 [kvm]
kvm_vm_ioctl_create_vcpu+0x178/0x430 [kvm]
kvm_vm_ioctl+0x53f/0x790 [kvm]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x8a/0xc0
do_syscall_64+0x5c/0x90
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 4.18 5.10.175

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 6.1.20-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.1.20-1 —
Debian 12 linux 6.1.20-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS linux-bluefield 5.15.0-1022.24 —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +10 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux 5.15.0-79.86 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws 5.15.0-1042.47 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure 5.15.0-1045.52 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure-fde 5.15.0-1045.52.1 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp 5.15.0-1039.47 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gke +1 5.15.0-1039.44 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gkeop 5.15.0-1025.30 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm +1 5.15.0-1035.38 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg 5.15.0-1037.42 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-lowlatency 5.15.0-79.88 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia 5.15.0-1030.30 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra 5.15.0-1016.16 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra-igx 5.15.0-1002.2 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle 5.15.0-1040.46 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-xilinx-zynqmp 5.15.0-1025.29 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-aws-5.15 5.15.0-1041.46~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-azure-5.15 5.15.0-1045.52~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gcp-5.15 5.15.0-1039.47~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-hwe-5.15 5.15.0-79.86~20.04.2 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-ibm-5.15 5.15.0-1036.39~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg-5.15 5.15.0-1037.42~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 5.15.0-79.88~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 5.15.0-1016.16~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-oracle-5.15 5.15.0-1040.46~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-riscv-5.15 5.15.0-1038.42~20.04.2 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Show 7 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-intel-iot-realtime 5.15.0-1036.38 —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime 5.15.0-1043.48 —
Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS linux-fips +3 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS linux-fips +3 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS linux-fips No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS linux +10 No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS linux-aws-5.4 +6 No fix yet —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
RHEL 9 bpftool 7.2.0-362.8.1.el9_3 RHSA-2023:6583
RHEL 9 rv +64 5.14.0-362.8.1.el9_3 RHSA-2023:6583
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
RHEL 9.0 EUS perf +29 5.14.0-70.58.1.el9_0 RHSA-2023:3465

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.1.19-30.43 1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2023-138
Amazon Linux 2023 perf +12 6.1.19-30.43.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2023-138

Advisories 4

References