Host kernel crash via unmapped GHCB update
Published Feb 28, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux KVM SVM 5.11 allows guest OS users to crash the host kernel through crafted SIPI handling. sev_vcpu_deliver_sipi_vector and svm_complete_emulated_msr update the GHCB without first ensuring that the prior VM exit mapped it. Reachability requires an AMD SEV guest and either a SIPI without AP Reset Hold or an emulated MSR error path; the documented consequence is host availability loss.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux KVM SVM 5.11 allows guest OS users to crash the host kernel through crafted SIPI handling. sev_vcpu_deliver_sipi_vector and svm_complete_emulated_msr update the GHCB without first ensuring that the prior VM exit mapped it. Reachability requires an AMD SEV guest and either a SIPI without AP Reset Hold or an emulated MSR error path; the documented consequence is host availability loss.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47008
- Published
- Feb 28, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.11
- Affected versionversion=f1c6366e304328de301be362eca905a3503ff33b <a3ba26ecfb569f4aa3f867e80c02aa65f20aadad
- Affected versionversion=f1c6366e304328de301be362eca905a3503ff33b <fb9e14f4f8217a0980f8da2c8ff70dee058cbe47
- Affected versionversion=f1c6366e304328de301be362eca905a3503ff33b <fd722a57fe0b80133dacae4e1c852ee4212f9b2e
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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