Linux Kernel up to 5.18.13 VMX SPEC_CTRL stack-based overflow

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.13. This affects an unknown function of the component VMX. The manipulation of the argument SPEC_CTRL leads to stack-based overflow. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2022-49610. There is no available exploit. You should upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.18.13. This issue affects some unknown functionality of the component VMX. The manipulation of the argument SPEC_CTRL with an unknown input leads to a stack-based overflow vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-121. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function). Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: VMX: Prevent RSB underflow before vmenter On VMX, there are some balanced returns between the time the guest's SPEC_CTRL value is written, and the vmenter. Balanced returns (matched by a preceding call) are usually ok, but it's at least theoretically possible an NMI with a deep call stack could empty the RSB before one of the returns. For maximum paranoia, don't allow *any* returns (balanced or otherwise) between the SPEC_CTRL write and the vmenter. [ bp: Fix 32-bit build. ]

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2022-49610 since 02/26/2025. The exploitation is known to be easy. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 10/23/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 234545 (SUSE SLES12 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2025:1293-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.18.14 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch afd743f6dde87296c6f3414706964c491bb85862/07853adc29a058c5fd143c14e5ac528448a72ed9 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Tenable (234545). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.18.0
• 5.18.1
• 5.18.2
• 5.18.3
• 5.18.4
• 5.18.5
• 5.18.6
• 5.18.7
• 5.18.8
• 5.18.9
• 5.18.10
• 5.18.11
• 5.18.12
• 5.18.13

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

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Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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