Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2009-4004

Buffer overflow in the kvm_vcpu_ioctl_x86_setup_mce function in arch/x86/kvm/x86.c in the KVM subsystem in the Linux kernel before 2.6.32-rc7 allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly gain privileges via a KVM_X86_SETUP_MCE IOCTL request that specifies a large number of Machine Check Exception (MCE) banks.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from linux organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Originally identified in 2009, this vulnerability predates many modern security frameworks and practices. The vulnerability landscape of that era was characterized by different threat models and less mature defense mechanisms compared to contemporary standards.

Published

2009-11-20T02:30:00.670

Last Modified

2025-04-09T00:30:58.490

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: LOCAL
Access Complexity: LOW
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

3.9

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-119

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	≤ 2.6.31.14	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	2.6.32	Yes

References

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=a9e38c3e01ad242fe2a625354cf065c34b01e3aa ([email protected])
http://secunia.com/advisories/37357 Broken Link, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/testing/ChangeLog-2.6.32-rc7 Broken Link ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37035 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3267 Broken Link ([email protected])
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54302 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry ([email protected])
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=a9e38c3e01ad242fe2a625354cf065c34b01e3aa (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://secunia.com/advisories/37357 Broken Link, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/testing/ChangeLog-2.6.32-rc7 Broken Link (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37035 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3267 Broken Link (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54302 Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For linux's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.