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🛡️ CVE-2023-53208 — kernel

🟡 CVSS 5.5 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
5.5
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

KVM: nSVM: Load L1's TSC multiplier based on L1 state, not L2 state

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

KVM: nSVM: Load L1's TSC multiplier based on L1 state, not L2 state

When emulating nested VM-Exit, load L1's TSC multiplier if L1's desired

ratio doesn't match the current ratio, not if the ratio L1 is using for

L2 diverges from the default. Functionally, the end result is the same

as KVM will run L2 with L1's multiplier if L2's multiplier is the default,

i.e. checking that L1's multiplier is loaded is equivalent to checking if

L2 has a non-default multiplier.

However, the assertion that TSC scaling is exposed to L1 is flawed, as

userspace can trigger the WARN at will by writing the MSR and then

updating guest CPUID to hide the feature (modifying guest CPUID is

allowed anytime before KVM_RUN). E.g. hacking KVM's state_test

selftest to do

vcpu_set_msr(vcpu, MSR_AMD64_TSC_RATIO, 0);

vcpu_clear_cpuid_feature(vcpu, X86_FEATURE_TSCRATEMSR);

after restoring state in a new VM+vCPU yields an endless supply of:

------------[ cut here ]------------

WARNING: CPU: 10 PID: 206939 at arch/x86/kvm/svm/nested.c:1105

nested_svm_vmexit+0x6af/0x720 [kvm_amd]

Call Trace:

nested_svm_exit_handled+0x102/0x1f0 [kvm_amd]

svm_handle_exit+0xb9/0x180 [kvm_amd]

kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x1eab/0x2570 [kvm]

kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x4c9/0x5b0 [kvm]

? trace_hardirqs_off+0x4d/0xa0

__se_sys_ioctl+0x7a/0xc0

__x64_sys_ioctl+0x21/0x30

do_syscall_64+0x41/0x90

entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0xcd

Unlike the nested VMRUN path, hoisting the svm->tsc_scaling_enabled check

into the if-statement is wrong as KVM needs to ensure L1's multiplier is

loaded in the above scenario. Alternatively, the WARN_ON() could simply

be deleted, but that would make KVM's behavior even more subtle, e.g. it's

not immediately obvious why it's safe to write MSR_AMD64_TSC_RATIO when

checking only tsc_ratio_msr.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: Low — an ordinary user account is enough.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: None.
  • Integrity impact: None.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Affected software

CVE-2023-53208 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.2.0 up to 6.5.4)
  • linux-kernel (from 6.2 up to 6.5.4)

Timeline and source

Published on 15 September 2025 and last revised on 12 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

Other advisories for this package

kernel has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

CVE-2023-53208 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Medium
CVSS Score 5.5
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2025-09-15
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-12

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.2.0 6.5.4
linux-kernel 6.2 6.5.4

Similar Threats

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