Upstream information

CVE-2025-21839 at MITRE

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

KVM: x86: Load DR6 with guest value only before entering .vcpu_run() loop

Move the conditional loading of hardware DR6 with the guest's DR6 value
out of the core .vcpu_run() loop to fix a bug where KVM can load hardware
with a stale vcpu->arch.dr6.

When the guest accesses a DR and host userspace isn't debugging the guest,
KVM disables DR interception and loads the guest's values into hardware on
VM-Enter and saves them on VM-Exit. This allows the guest to access DRs
at will, e.g. so that a sequence of DR accesses to configure a breakpoint
only generates one VM-Exit.

For DR0-DR3, the logic/behavior is identical between VMX and SVM, and also
identical between KVM_DEBUGREG_BP_ENABLED (userspace debugging the guest)
and KVM_DEBUGREG_WONT_EXIT (guest using DRs), and so KVM handles loading
DR0-DR3 in common code, _outside_ of the core kvm_x86_ops.vcpu_run() loop.

But for DR6, the guest's value doesn't need to be loaded into hardware for
KVM_DEBUGREG_BP_ENABLED, and SVM provides a dedicated VMCB field whereas
VMX requires software to manually load the guest value, and so loading the
guest's value into DR6 is handled by {svm,vmx}_vcpu_run(), i.e. is done
_inside_ the core run loop.

Unfortunately, saving the guest values on VM-Exit is initiated by common
x86, again outside of the core run loop. If the guest modifies DR6 (in
hardware, when DR interception is disabled), and then the next VM-Exit is
a fastpath VM-Exit, KVM will reload hardware DR6 with vcpu->arch.dr6 and
clobber the guest's actual value.

The bug shows up primarily with nested VMX because KVM handles the VMX
preemption timer in the fastpath, and the window between hardware DR6
being modified (in guest context) and DR6 being read by guest software is
orders of magnitude larger in a nested setup. E.g. in non-nested, the
VMX preemption timer would need to fire precisely between #DB injection
and the #DB handler's read of DR6, whereas with a KVM-on-KVM setup, the
window where hardware DR6 is "dirty" extends all the way from L1 writing
DR6 to VMRESUME (in L1).

L1's view:
==========
<L1 disables DR interception>
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640961: kvm_entry: vcpu 0
A: L1 Writes DR6
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640963: <hack>: Set DRs, DR6 = 0xffff0ff1

B: CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640967: kvm_exit: vcpu 0 reason EXTERNAL_INTERRUPT intr_info 0x800000ec

D: L1 reads DR6, arch.dr6 = 0
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640969: <hack>: Sync DRs, DR6 = 0xffff0ff0

CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640976: kvm_entry: vcpu 0
L2 reads DR6, L1 disables DR interception
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640980: kvm_exit: vcpu 0 reason DR_ACCESS info1 0x0000000000000216
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640983: kvm_entry: vcpu 0

CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640983: <hack>: Set DRs, DR6 = 0xffff0ff0

L2 detects failure
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640987: kvm_exit: vcpu 0 reason HLT
L1 reads DR6 (confirms failure)
CPU 0/KVM-7289 [023] d.... 2925.640990: <hack>: Sync DRs, DR6 = 0xffff0ff0

L0's view:
==========
L2 reads DR6, arch.dr6 = 0
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] d.... 3410.005610: kvm_exit: vcpu 23 reason DR_ACCESS info1 0x0000000000000216
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] ..... 3410.005610: kvm_nested_vmexit: vcpu 23 reason DR_ACCESS info1 0x0000000000000216

L2 => L1 nested VM-Exit
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] ..... 3410.005610: kvm_nested_vmexit_inject: reason: DR_ACCESS ext_inf1: 0x0000000000000216

CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] d.... 3410.005610: kvm_entry: vcpu 23
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] d.... 3410.005611: kvm_exit: vcpu 23 reason VMREAD
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] d.... 3410.005611: kvm_entry: vcpu 23
CPU 23/KVM-5046 [001] d.... 3410.
---truncated---

SUSE information

Overall state of this security issue: Pending

This issue is currently rated as having moderate severity.

CVSS v3 Scores
  SUSE
Base Score 5.5
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector Local
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required Low
User Interaction None
Scope Unchanged
Confidentiality Impact None
Integrity Impact None
Availability Impact High
CVSSv3 Version 3.1
SUSE Bugzilla entry: 1239061 [NEW]

No SUSE Security Announcements cross referenced.


Status of this issue by product and package

Please note that this evaluation state might be work in progress, incomplete or outdated. Also information for service packs in the LTSS phase is only included for issues meeting the LTSS criteria. If in doubt, feel free to contact us for clarification. The updates are grouped by state of their lifecycle. SUSE product lifecycles are documented on the lifecycle page.

Product(s) Source package State
Products under general support and receiving all security fixes.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-rt Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 kernel-source-rt Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-rt Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 kernel-source-rt Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP6 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP6 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 kernel-source-azure Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP6 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP6 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.3 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP6 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-default Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-source-azure Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.6 kernel-source-rt Affected
Products under Long Term Service Pack support and receiving important and critical security fixes.
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 12 SP5 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 12 SP5 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 12 SP5 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP3 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Public Cloud 15 SP5 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS EXTREME CORE kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS EXTREME CORE kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 kernel-source-azure Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS kernel-source-azure Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 kernel-source-azure Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 kernel-default Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
Products past their end of life and not receiving proactive updates anymore.
SUSE CaaS Platform 4.0 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 7 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP5 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.0 kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 12 SP2-CLIENT kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 kernel-source-rt Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 kernel-source Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP5 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-ESPOS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-BCL kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-BCL kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS kernel-default Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.0 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.1 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Manager Server 4.2 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 kernel-source Not affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP3 kernel-source-rt Not affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP4 kernel-source-rt Affected
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP5 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.3 kernel-source Not affected
openSUSE Leap 15.3 kernel-source-rt Not affected
openSUSE Leap 15.4 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.4 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
openSUSE Leap 15.4 kernel-source-rt Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-source Affected
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-source-azure Unsupported
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-source-rt Affected


SUSE Timeline for this CVE

CVE page created: Fri Mar 7 12:00:40 2025
CVE page last modified: Wed Mar 12 12:15:53 2025