Auth bypass in Linux Kernel

CVE-2021-3653

A flaw was found in the KVM's AMD code for supporting SVM nested virtualization. The flaw occurs when processing the VMCB (virtual machine control block) provided by the L1 guest to spawn/handle a nested guest (L2). Due to improper validation of the "int_ctl" field, this issue could allow a malicious L1 to enable AVIC support (Advanced Virtual Interrupt Controller) for the L2 guest. As a result, the L2 guest would be allowed to read/write physical pages of the host, resulting in a crash of the entire system, leak of sensitive data or potential guest-to-host escape. This flaw affects Linux kernel versions prior to 5.14-rc7.

Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control

EPSS: 0.004 (36.4th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3653?
CVE-2021-3653 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Kernel, classified under Missing Authorization. CVSS score: 8.8/10. Published 2021-09-29.
How severe is CVE-2021-3653?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2021-3653 known to be exploited?
2 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.