CVE-2023-54296

Host crash via wrong source vCPU selection

Published Dec 30, 2025 · Updated Dec 30, 2025

A KVM/SVM flaw in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the host during SEV-ES intrahost virtual-machine migration. The migration path in arch/x86/kvm/svm/sev.c fetches source vCPUs from the destination VM, leaving a VMSA pointer null for later teardown. Reachability requires SEV-ES and permission to initiate intrahost migration; triggering the flaw disrupts the guest and crashes its host.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A KVM/SVM flaw in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the host during SEV-ES intrahost virtual-machine migration. The migration path in arch/x86/kvm/svm/sev.c fetches source vCPUs from the destination VM, leaving a VMSA pointer null for later teardown. Reachability requires SEV-ES and permission to initiate intrahost migration; triggering the flaw disrupts the guest and crashes its host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-54296
Published
Dec 30, 2025
Updated
Dec 30, 2025
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 30, 2025Record 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=229334a8b1d0d5e60d3bdd091bbc4552d5321c97
  2. Affected versionversion=5.19
  3. Affected versionversion=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <2ee4b180d51b12a45bdd3264629719ef6a572a73
  4. Affected versionversion=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <5c18ace750e4d4d58d7da02d1c669bf21c824158
  5. Affected versionversion=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <f1187ef24eb8f36e8ad8106d22615ceddeea6097

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=229334a8b1d0d5e60d3bdd091bbc4552d5321c97; version=5.19; version=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <2ee4b180d51b12a45bdd3264629719ef6a572a73; version=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <5c18ace750e4d4d58d7da02d1c669bf21c824158; version=6defa24d3b12bbd418bc8526dea1cbc605265c06 <f1187ef24eb8f36e8ad8106d22615ceddeea6097

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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