Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2012-2137
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedBuffer overflow in virt/kvm/irq_comm.c in the KVM subsystem in the Linux kernel before 3.2.24 allows local users to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors related to Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI), irq routing entries, and an incorrect check by the setup_routing_entry function before invoking the kvm_set_irq function.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceBuffer overflow in the KVM subsystem's virt/kvm/irq_comm.c where the setup_routing_entry function performs an incorrect bounds check before invoking kvm_set_irq. This allows local users to overflow the buffer when handling Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI) and irq routing entries, potentially leading to denial of service (crash) or arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 2.6.33, < 3.0.72>= 3.1, < 3.2.24>= 3.3, < 3.4.81
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
= 10.04= 11.10= 12.04CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if KVM kernel modules are loadedRun `lsmod | grep -E 'kvm|kvm_intel|kvm_amd'` to list loaded KVM modules. If no output, KVM may not be in use.Affected if KVM modules (kvm, kvm_intel, or kvm_amd) are loaded and the kernel version falls within the affected ranges
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Determine the running kernel versionRun `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to get the kernel version. Compare it against the affected ranges: >= 2.6.33 and < 3.0.72; >= 3.1 and < 3.2.24; >= 3.3 and < 3.4.81.Affected if The kernel version matches any of the vulnerable version ranges
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Verify MSI interrupt usage on the systemRun `cat /proc/interrupts | grep -i -E 'msi|msix'` to check if Message Signaled Interrupts are in use.Affected if MSI or MSI-X interrupts are present and the kernel version is in the affected range
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Check for irq routing entriesLook in /sys/kernel/debug/kvm/ or /proc/kvm if available, or check for irq routing configuration files under /var/lib/libvirt/ or /etc/kvm/ if KVM virtualization is in use.Affected if Irq routing entries exist and the kernel is vulnerable
You are affected if KVM is loaded and your kernel version falls within 2.6.33 to 3.0.71, 3.1 to 3.2.23, or 3.3 to 3.4.80, and the system uses MSI interrupts or irq routing with KVM virtualization enabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data3.0.723.2.243.4.81
Upgrade Linux kernel to version 3.2.24 or later. For enterprise systems, apply the vendor-supplied kernel security update from your Linux distribution.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-2137 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-2137 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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