Explicitly leak pages in unknown state
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virt: sev-guest: Explicitly leak pages in unknown state When set_memory_{encrypted,decrypted}() fail, the user cannot know at which point the function failed, meaning that the pages are left in an unknown state from the point of view of the caller. Since the pages may be left in an unencrypted state, they are not suitable for general use, and cannot be returned safely to the buddy allocator. Avoid the issue by never freeing the pages, and then do the proper accounting by calling snp_leak_pages(). When memory encryption or decryption operations fail, the affected memory pages can be left in an unknown or unencrypted state. This could lead to information disclosure, as these pages are not safely returned to the system's memory allocator and may contain sensitive data. Red Hat severity: not rated. Weakness: CWE-212. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 as not affected.
What this means
In plain English
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virt: sev-guest: Explicitly leak pages in unknown state When set_memory_{encrypted,decrypted}() fail, the user cannot know at which point the function failed, meaning that the pages are left in an unknown state from the point of view of the caller. Since the pages may be left in an unencrypted state, they are not suitable for general use, and cannot be returned safely to the buddy allocator. Avoid the issue by never freeing the pages, and then do the proper accounting by calling snp_leak_pages(). Information disclosure can expose data available to the affected component beyond its intended authorization boundary.
Recommended action
The parsed official advisory does not currently specify a fixed release, mitigation, or workaround. Review the linked vendor advisory for the latest guidance before making changes.
Rewritten locally from the scraped official advisory data above; no generative API is used. The vendor advisory is authoritative.
Affected versions
No affected-version range was extracted from the source record. The vendor advisory is authoritative — check it before change work.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 52 minutes ago·verify at source
Fixed versions
No fixed release is recorded yet. That does not prove no patch exists — confirm against the vendor advisory.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 52 minutes ago·verify at source
Mitigation
The source record does not include mitigation steps. That is not a statement that no fix exists — read the vendor advisory below for the authoritative guidance.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 52 minutes ago·verify at source
Discussion(0)
No comments yet. Share field notes, upgrade gotchas, or questions — verify against the vendor advisory before acting on community advice.
Sign in to join the discussion.