Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's memory deduplication mechanism. The max page sharing of Kernel Samepage Merging (KSM), added in Linux kernel version 4.4.0-96.119, can create a side channel. When the attacker and the victim share the same host and the default setting of KSM is "max page sharing=256", it is possible for the attacker to time the unmap to merge with the victim's page. The unmapping time depends on whether it merges with the victim's page and additional physical pages are created beyond the KSM's "max page share". Through these operations, the attacker can leak the victim's page.
References (5)
Scores
CVSS v3
5.3
EPSS
0.0002
EPSS Percentile
6.3%
Attack Vector
ADJACENT_NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CISA SSVC
Vulnrichment
Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical Impact
partial
Details
CWE
CWE-203
Status
published
Products (3)
linux/linux_kernel
4.4.0-96.119 - 5.15.0-58
redhat/enterprise_linux
8.0
redhat/enterprise_linux
9.0
Published
Jan 30, 2024
Tracked Since
Feb 18, 2026