# CVE-2022-49932: KVM: VMX: Do _all_ initialization before exposing /dev/kvm to userspace

CVE-2022-49932 is fixed in 20 products on 1 platform, first by ALAS2023-2023-148, released March 30, 2023. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-49932
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: 5.5 (Moderate)
- EPSS: 0.0021
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Mar 30, 2023
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49932

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  KVM: VMX: Do _all_ initialization before exposing /dev/kvm to userspace  Call kvm_init() only after _all_ setup is complete, as kvm_init() exposes /dev/kvm to userspace and thus allows userspace to create VMs (and call other ioctls).  E.g. KVM will encounter a NULL pointer when attempting to add a vCPU to the per-CPU loaded_vmcss_on_cpu list if userspace is able to create a VM before vmx_init() configures said list.   BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008  #PF: supervisor write access in kernel mode  #PF: error_code(0x0002) - not-present page  PGD 0 P4D 0  Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP  CPU: 6 PID: 1143 Comm: stable Not tainted 6.0.0-rc7+ #988  Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015  RIP: 0010:vmx_vcpu_load_vmcs+0x68/0x230 [kvm_intel]   <TASK>   vmx_vcpu_load+0x16/0x60 [kvm_intel]   kvm_arch_vcpu_load+0x32/0x1f0 [kvm]   vcpu_load+0x2f/0x40 [kvm]   kvm_arch_vcpu_create+0x231/0x310 [kvm]   kvm_vm_ioctl+0x79f/0xe10 [kvm]   ? handle_mm_fault+0xb1/0x220   __x64_sys_ioctl+0x80/0xb0   do_syscall_64+0x2b/0x50   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0  RIP: 0033:0x7f5a6b05743b   </TASK>  Modules linked in: vhost_net vhost vhost_iotlb tap kvm_intel(+) kvm irqbypass

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | bpftool amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | bpftool-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-headers amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-libbpf-static amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-livepatch-6.1.21-1.45 amzn 2023 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | kernel-tools-devel amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | linux Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.1.20-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49932](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-49932.md) | May 2, 2025 |
| Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.1.20-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49932](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-49932.md) | May 2, 2025 |
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 6.1.20-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49932](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-49932.md) | May 2, 2025 |
| Linux | perf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | perf-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | python3-perf amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |
| Linux | python3-perf-debuginfo amzn 2023 | 6.1.21-1.45.amzn2023 | [ALAS2023-2023-148](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-148.md) | Mar 30, 2023 |

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