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🛡️ CVE-2024-55881 — kernel

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

Description

KVM: x86: Play nice with protected guests in complete_hypercall_exit()

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

KVM: x86: Play nice with protected guests in complete_hypercall_exit()

Use is_64_bit_hypercall() instead of is_64_bit_mode() to detect a 64-bit

hypercall when completing said hypercall. For guests with protected state,

e.g. SEV-ES and SEV-SNP, KVM must assume the hypercall was made in 64-bit

mode as the vCPU state needed to detect 64-bit mode is unavailable.

Hacking the sev_smoke_test selftest to generate a KVM_HC_MAP_GPA_RANGE

hypercall via VMGEXIT trips the WARN:

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

WARNING: CPU: 273 PID: 326626 at arch/x86/kvm/x86.h:180 complete_hypercall_exit+0x44/0xe0 [kvm]

Modules linked in: kvm_amd kvm ... [last unloaded: kvm]

CPU: 273 UID: 0 PID: 326626 Comm: sev_smoke_test Not tainted 6.12.0-smp--392e932fa0f3-feat #470

Hardware name: Google Astoria/astoria, BIOS 0.20240617.0-0 06/17/2024

RIP: 0010:complete_hypercall_exit+0x44/0xe0 [kvm]

Call Trace:

<TASK>

kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_run+0x2400/0x2720 [kvm]

kvm_vcpu_ioctl+0x54f/0x630 [kvm]

__se_sys_ioctl+0x6b/0xc0

do_syscall_64+0x83/0x160

entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

</TASK>

---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---

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-2024-55881 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.2.0 up to 6.12.7)
  • linux-kernel

Timeline and source

Published on 11 January 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)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
lists.debian.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-2024-55881 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 2025-01-11
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-12

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.2.0 6.12.7
linux-kernel — —

Similar Threats

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