5.5
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2022-49932
KVM: VMX: Do _all_ initialization before exposing /dev/kvm to userspace
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: VMX: Do _all_ initialization before exposing /dev/kvm to userspace Call kvm_init() only after _all_ setup is complete, as kvm_init() exposes /dev/kvm to userspace and thus allows userspace to create VMs (and call other ioctls). E.g. KVM will encounter a NULL pointer when attempting to add a vCPU to the per-CPU loaded_vmcss_on_cpu list if userspace is able to create a VM before vmx_init() configures said list. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008 #PF: supervisor write access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0002) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP CPU: 6 PID: 1143 Comm: stable Not tainted 6.0.0-rc7+ #988 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:vmx_vcpu_load_vmcs+0x68/0x230 [kvm_intel] <TASK> vmx_vcpu_load+0x16/0x60 [kvm_intel] kvm_arch_vcpu_load+0x32/0x1f0 [kvm] vcpu_load+0x2f/0x40 [kvm] kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x231/0x310 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x79f/0xe10 [kvm] ? handle_mm_fault+0xb1/0x220 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x80/0xb0 do_syscall_64+0x2b/0x50 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 RIP: 0033:0x7f5a6b05743b </TASK> Modules linked in: vhost_net vhost vhost_iotlb tap kvm_intel(+) kvm irqbypass

INFO

Published Date :

May 2, 2025, 4:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Nov. 12, 2025, 3:56 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2022-49932 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version to address the issue.
  • Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version.
  • Verify that the KVM VMX initialization is correctly ordered.
  • Test the system for stability after the update.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2022-49932.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e136e969d268b9b89329c816c002e53f60e82985 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e28533c08023c4b319b7f2cd77f3f7c9204eb517 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e32b120071ea114efc0b4ddd439547750b85f618 Patch
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2022-49932 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2022-49932 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2022-49932 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2022-49932 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Nov. 12, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-476
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.2 up to (excluding) 6.2.7 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 6.1.20
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e136e969d268b9b89329c816c002e53f60e82985 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e28533c08023c4b319b7f2cd77f3f7c9204eb517 Types: Patch
    Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e32b120071ea114efc0b4ddd439547750b85f618 Types: Patch
  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    May. 02, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: VMX: Do _all_ initialization before exposing /dev/kvm to userspace Call kvm_init() only after _all_ setup is complete, as kvm_init() exposes /dev/kvm to userspace and thus allows userspace to create VMs (and call other ioctls). E.g. KVM will encounter a NULL pointer when attempting to add a vCPU to the per-CPU loaded_vmcss_on_cpu list if userspace is able to create a VM before vmx_init() configures said list. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008 #PF: supervisor write access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0002) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP CPU: 6 PID: 1143 Comm: stable Not tainted 6.0.0-rc7+ #988 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:vmx_vcpu_load_vmcs+0x68/0x230 [kvm_intel] <TASK> vmx_vcpu_load+0x16/0x60 [kvm_intel] kvm_arch_vcpu_load+0x32/0x1f0 [kvm] vcpu_load+0x2f/0x40 [kvm] kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x231/0x310 [kvm] kvm_vm_ioctl+0x79f/0xe10 [kvm] ? handle_mm_fault+0xb1/0x220 __x64_sys_ioctl+0x80/0xb0 do_syscall_64+0x2b/0x50 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0 RIP: 0033:0x7f5a6b05743b </TASK> Modules linked in: vhost_net vhost vhost_iotlb tap kvm_intel(+) kvm irqbypass
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e136e969d268b9b89329c816c002e53f60e82985
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e28533c08023c4b319b7f2cd77f3f7c9204eb517
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e32b120071ea114efc0b4ddd439547750b85f618
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 5.5
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact