CVE-2022-2196

Cross-VM speculative execution via missing IBPB

Published Jan 9, 2023 · Updated Aug 7, 2026

Spectre v2 in Linux Kernel KVM before 6.2 allows guest OS users with L2 code execution to steer indirect branches in L1. KVM advertises eIBRS to L1, causing L1 to omit retpolines and IBPB, but fails to issue IBPB when exiting a nested VM. Exploitation requires Intel nested virtualization and code execution in L2; attacker-controlled branch prediction can redirect speculative execution across the L2-to-L1 boundary.

CVSS severity5.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Spectre v2 in Linux Kernel KVM before 6.2 allows guest OS users with L2 code execution to steer indirect branches in L1. KVM advertises eIBRS to L1, causing L1 to omit retpolines and IBPB, but fails to issue IBPB when exiting a nested VM. Exploitation requires Intel nested virtualization and code execution in L2; attacker-controlled branch prediction can redirect speculative execution across the L2-to-L1 boundary.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2196
Published
Jan 9, 2023
Updated
Aug 7, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-1188, CAPEC-30, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 9, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 7, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=02a3868d18fe639363f1cea6e6d7914513198e43 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5
  2. Affected versionversion=5.11.0 <5.15.96
  3. Affected versionversion=5.16.0 <6.1.14
  4. Affected versionversion=5.4.47 <5.4.233
  5. Affected versionversion=5.6.19 <5.7.0
  6. Affected versionversion=5.7.3 <5.8.0
  7. Affected versionversion=5.8.0 <5.10.170
  8. Affected versionversion=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <1b0cafaae8884726c597caded50af185ffc13349
  9. Affected versionversion=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5
  10. Affected versionversion=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <63fada296062e91ad9f871970d4e7f19e21a6a15
  11. Affected versionversion=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <6b539a7dbb49250f92515c2ba60aea239efc9e35
  12. Affected versionversion=64b8f33b2e1e687d465b5cb382e7bec495f1e026 <f93a1a5bdcdd122aae0a3eab7a52c15b71fb725b
  13. Affected versionversion=e089a83fbc55b8057f332c00f125acaa02b08ef7 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=02a3868d18fe639363f1cea6e6d7914513198e43 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5; version=5.11.0 <5.15.96; version=5.16.0 <6.1.14; version=5.4.47 <5.4.233; version=5.6.19 <5.7.0; version=5.7.3 <5.8.0; version=5.8.0 <5.10.170; version=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <1b0cafaae8884726c597caded50af185ffc13349; version=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5; version=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <63fada296062e91ad9f871970d4e7f19e21a6a15; version=5c911beff20aa8639e7a1f28988736c13e03ed54 <6b539a7dbb49250f92515c2ba60aea239efc9e35; version=64b8f33b2e1e687d465b5cb382e7bec495f1e026 <f93a1a5bdcdd122aae0a3eab7a52c15b71fb725b; version=e089a83fbc55b8057f332c00f125acaa02b08ef7 <2e7eab81425ad6c875f2ed47c0ce01e78afc38a5

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.8Google CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
5.6Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1188Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default
CAPEC-30Hijacking a Privileged Thread of Execution
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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