Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2017-8106
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 · uneditedThe handle_invept function in arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c in the Linux kernel 3.12 through 3.15 allows privileged KVM guest OS users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and host OS crash) via a single-context INVEPT instruction with a NULL EPT pointer.
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 confidenceA NULL pointer dereference exists in the KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) handle_invept function in Linux kernel versions 3.12-3.15. When a privileged KVM guest user issues a single-context INVEPT instruction with a NULL EPT (Extended Page Table) pointer, the kernel attempts to dereference the NULL pointer, causing a host OS crash (denial of service).
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
= 3.12= 3.12.1= 3.12.2= 3.12.3= 3.12.4= 3.12.5= 3.12.6= 3.12.7= 3.12.8= 3.12.9= 3.12.10= 3.12.11CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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 the running kernel versionRun `uname -r` or check `/proc/version` to obtain the kernel versionAffected if The kernel version falls within 3.12 to 3.15 (e.g., 3.12.x through 3.15.x)
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Verify KVM kernel module is loadedRun `lsmod | grep kvm` or check `/sys/module/kvm` to see if KVM modules are presentAffected if KVM modules are loaded, indicating KVM virtualization is available on the host
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Confirm EPT (Extended Page Table) support is enabledCheck CPU flags via `cat /proc/cpuinfo` for 'ept' or 'vmx' (Intel) or 'svm' (AMD), which indicate EPT/NPT hardware virtualization support is presentAffected if The CPU supports and has enabled EPT/NPT virtualization extensions (vmx with ept, or svm)
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Check if KVM guests with EPT are in useList running virtual machines via `virsh list --all` or check for qemu processes with EPT configuration (`ps aux | grep -i qemu`)Affected if There are active or configured KVM virtual machines utilizing EPT memory virtualization
A host is affected if it runs a Linux kernel between versions 3.12 and 3.15, has KVM loaded, and runs or hosts virtual machines that utilize EPT virtualization, allowing a malicious guest to trigger the NULL pointer dereference via INVEPT instruction.
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 dataApply the upstream kernel patch that adds NULL pointer validation for the EPT pointer before dereferencing in handle_invept, or upgrade to a kernel version beyond 3.15 that includes the fix.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-8106 — 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-2017-8106 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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