CVE-2024-53135 — KVM: VMX: Bury Intel PT virtualization (guest/host mode) behind CONFIG_BROKEN
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: VMX: Bury Intel PT virtualization (guest/host mode) behind CONFIG_BROKEN Hide KVM's pt_mode module param behind CONFIG_BROKEN, i.e. disable support for virtualizing Intel PT via guest/host mode unless BROKEN=y. There are myriad bugs in the implementation, some of which are fatal to the guest, and others which put the stability and health of the host at risk. For guest fatalities, the most glaring issue is that KVM fails to ensure tracing is disabled, and *stays* disabled prior to VM-Enter, which is necessary as hardware disallows loading (the guest's) RTIT_CTL if tracing is enabled (enforced via a VMX consistency check). Per the SDM: If the logical processor is operating with Intel PT enabled (if IA32_RTIT_CTL.TraceEn = 1) at the time of VM entry, the "load IA32_RTIT_CTL" VM-entry control must be 0. On the host side, KVM doesn't validate the guest CPUID configuration provided by userspace, and even worse, uses the guest configuration to decide what MSRs to save/load at VM-Enter and VM-Exit. E.g. configuring guest CPUID to enumerate more address ranges than are supported in hardware will result in KVM trying to passthrough, save, and load non-existent MSRs, which generates a variety of WARNs, ToPA ERRORs in the host, a potential deadlock, etc.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | version 5.0≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < aa0d42cacf093a6fcca872edc954f6f812926a17≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < b91bb0ce5cd7005b376eac690ec664c1b56372ec≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < d28b059ee4779b5102c5da6e929762520510e406≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < e6716f4230a8784957273ddd27326264b27b9313≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < b8a1d572478b6f239061ee9578b2451bf2f021c2≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < d4b42f926adcce4e5ec193c714afd9d37bba8e5b≥ f99e3daf94ff35dd4a878d32ff66e1fd35223ad6 and < c3742319d021f5aa3a0a8c828485fee14753f6de | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 6.12-rc7≥ 5.0 and < 6.1.119version 6.12-rc6version 6.12-rc5version 6.12-rc4version 6.12-rc3version 6.12-rc2version 6.12-rc1 and 2 more≥ 6.7 and < 6.11.10≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.63 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.0 | 6.0 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 6.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 2.0 | 4.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 6.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · linux/linux kernel
- CVSS changed · 6.5
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2024
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
11 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b91bb0ce5cd7005b376eac690ec664c1b56372ec
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d28b059ee4779b5102c5da6e929762520510e406
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6716f4230a8784957273ddd27326264b27b9313
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa0d42cacf093a6fcca872edc954f6f812926a17
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3742319d021f5aa3a0a8c828485fee14753f6de
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-7gvv-gph6-2hpj
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b8a1d572478b6f239061ee9578b2451bf2f021c2
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53135
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d4b42f926adcce4e5ec193c714afd9d37bba8e5b
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2024-53135 is "KVM: VMX: Bury Intel PT virtualization (guest/host mode) behind CONFIG_BROKEN", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 6.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.24% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.