CVE-2022-48763

Service interruption via inconsistent nested virtualization state

Published Jun 20, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in Linux KVM allows local users to interrupt service by forcing inconsistent nested-virtualization state through vCPU event ioctls. vmx_enter_smm() overwrites the saved VMXON flag after KVM_SET_VCPU_EVENTS or KVM_SYNC_X86_EVENTS toggles SMM, leaving allocated nested-VMX state inconsistent and a shadow VMCS unreleased. Access to KVM vCPU ioctls with nested virtualization in use is required; abuse produces a kernel warning and memory leak that can degrade host availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Linux KVM allows local users to interrupt service by forcing inconsistent nested-virtualization state through vCPU event ioctls. vmx_enter_smm() overwrites the saved VMXON flag after KVM_SET_VCPU_EVENTS or KVM_SYNC_X86_EVENTS toggles SMM, leaving allocated nested-VMX state inconsistent and a shadow VMCS unreleased. Access to KVM vCPU ioctls with nested virtualization in use is required; abuse produces a kernel warning and memory leak that can degrade host availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-48763
Published
Jun 20, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 20, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.15
  2. Affected versionversion=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <080dbe7e9b86a0392d8dffc00d9971792afc121f
  3. Affected versionversion=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <b4c0d89c92e957ecccce12e66b63875d0cc7af7e
  4. Affected versionversion=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <e302786233e6bc512986d007c96458ccf5ca21c7
  5. Affected versionversion=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <f7e570780efc5cec9b2ed1e0472a7da14e864fdb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.15; version=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <080dbe7e9b86a0392d8dffc00d9971792afc121f; version=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <b4c0d89c92e957ecccce12e66b63875d0cc7af7e; version=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <e302786233e6bc512986d007c96458ccf5ca21c7; version=72e9cbdb43384ceacc49e2fb6b8c8fb7c5988778 <f7e570780efc5cec9b2ed1e0472a7da14e864fdb

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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