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.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3, indicating it requires adjacent network access but requires specific conditions to be met without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), for affected systems. Impacting 2 products from linux, from redhat organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2024, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2024-01-30T15:15:08.687
2026-06-17T06:53:47.437
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 5.3 (MEDIUM)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | ≤ 5.15.0-58 | Yes |
| Operating System | redhat | enterprise_linux | 8.0 | Yes |
| Operating System | redhat | enterprise_linux | 9.0 | Yes |
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.