Linux Kernel up to 6.4.7 arch/arm64/kvm/pkvm.c finalize_pkvm denial of service

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.7. The affected element is the function finalize_pkvm of the file arch/arm64/kvm/pkvm.c. Such manipulation leads to denial of service. This vulnerability is documented as CVE-2023-53319. There is not any exploit available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.4.7. Affected by this issue is the function finalize_pkvm of the file arch/arm64/kvm/pkvm.c. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a denial of service vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-404. The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: arm64: Handle kvm_arm_init failure correctly in finalize_pkvm Currently there is no synchronisation between finalize_pkvm() and kvm_arm_init() initcalls. The finalize_pkvm() proceeds happily even if kvm_arm_init() fails resulting in the following warning on all the CPUs and eventually a HYP panic: | kvm [1]: IPA Size Limit: 48 bits | kvm [1]: Failed to init hyp memory protection | kvm [1]: error initializing Hyp mode: -22 | | <snip> | | WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 0 at arch/arm64/kvm/pkvm.c:226 _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x30/0x50 | Modules linked in: | CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.4.0 #237 | Hardware name: FVP Base RevC (DT) | pstate: 634020c5 (nZCv daIF +PAN -UAO +TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) | pc : _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x30/0x50 | lr : __flush_smp_call_function_queue+0xd8/0x230 | | Call trace: | _kvm_host_prot_finalize+0x3c/0x50 | on_each_cpu_cond_mask+0x3c/0x6c | pkvm_drop_host_privileges+0x4c/0x78 | finalize_pkvm+0x3c/0x5c | do_one_initcall+0xcc/0x240 | do_initcall_level+0x8c/0xac | do_initcalls+0x54/0x94 | do_basic_setup+0x1c/0x28 | kernel_init_freeable+0x100/0x16c | kernel_init+0x20/0x1a0 | ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 | Failed to finalize Hyp protection: -22 | dtb=fvp-base-revc.dtb | kvm [95]: nVHE hyp BUG at: arch/arm64/kvm/hyp/nvhe/mem_protect.c:540! | kvm [95]: nVHE call trace: | kvm [95]: [<ffff800081052984>] __kvm_nvhe_hyp_panic+0xac/0xf8 | kvm [95]: [<ffff800081059644>] __kvm_nvhe_handle_host_mem_abort+0x1a0/0x2ac | kvm [95]: [<ffff80008105511c>] __kvm_nvhe_handle_trap+0x4c/0x160 | kvm [95]: [<ffff8000810540fc>] __kvm_nvhe___skip_pauth_save+0x4/0x4 | kvm [95]: ---[ end nVHE call trace ]--- | kvm [95]: Hyp Offset: 0xfffe8db00ffa0000 | Kernel panic - not syncing: HYP panic: | PS:a34023c9 PC:0000f250710b973c ESR:00000000f2000800 | FAR:ffff000800cb00d0 HPFAR:000000000880cb00 PAR:0000000000000000 | VCPU:0000000000000000 | CPU: 3 PID: 95 Comm: kworker/u16:2 Tainted: G W 6.4.0 #237 | Hardware name: FVP Base RevC (DT) | Workqueue: rpciod rpc_async_schedule | Call trace: | dump_backtrace+0xec/0x108 | show_stack+0x18/0x2c | dump_stack_lvl+0x50/0x68 | dump_stack+0x18/0x24 | panic+0x138/0x33c | nvhe_hyp_panic_handler+0x100/0x184 | new_slab+0x23c/0x54c | ___slab_alloc+0x3e4/0x770 | kmem_cache_alloc_node+0x1f0/0x278 | __alloc_skb+0xdc/0x294 | tcp_stream_alloc_skb+0x2c/0xf0 | tcp_sendmsg_locked+0x3d0/0xda4 | tcp_sendmsg+0x38/0x5c | inet_sendmsg+0x44/0x60 | sock_sendmsg+0x1c/0x34 | xprt_sock_sendmsg+0xdc/0x274 | xs_tcp_send_request+0x1ac/0x28c | xprt_transmit+0xcc/0x300 | call_transmit+0x78/0x90 | __rpc_execute+0x114/0x3d8 | rpc_async_schedule+0x28/0x48 | process_one_work+0x1d8/0x314 | worker_thread+0x248/0x474 | kthread+0xfc/0x184 | ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 | SMP: stopping secondary CPUs | Kernel Offset: 0x57c5cb460000 from 0xffff800080000000 | PHYS_OFFSET: 0x80000000 | CPU features: 0x00000000,1035b7a3,ccfe773f | Memory Limit: none | ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: HYP panic: | PS:a34023c9 PC:0000f250710b973c ESR:00000000f2000800 | FAR:ffff000800cb00d0 HPFAR:000000000880cb00 PAR:0000000000000000 | VCPU:0000000000000000 ]--- Fix it by checking for the successfull initialisation of kvm_arm_init() in finalize_pkvm() before proceeding any futher.

The advisory is available at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2023-53319 since 09/16/2025. The exploitation is known to be difficult. Technical details are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 265293 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2023-53319), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.4.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 91450dec0445f4d12f960ba68d8d05c3cb2ab5b8/fa729bc7c9c8c17a2481358c841ef8ca920485d3 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 databases at Tenable (265293) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2077). If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• IBM QRadar SIEM
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.4.0
• 6.4.1
• 6.4.2
• 6.4.3
• 6.4.4
• 6.4.5
• 6.4.6
• 6.4.7

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.

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