# CVE-2017-12154: Privilege escalation in Linux kernel through 4.13.3

> A flaw in the Linux kernel KVM module allows L2 guest users to access hardware CR8 registers, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Sep 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-12154, GHSA-wjrh-v4vw-2jmc, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-12154

## What is CVE-2017-12154?

CVE-2017-12154 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Sep 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The prepare_vmcs02 function in arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c in the Linux kernel through 4.13.3 does not ensure that the "CR8-load exiting" and "CR8-store exiting" L0 vmcs02 controls exist in cases where L1 omits the "use TPR shadow" vmcs12 control, which allows KVM L2 guest OS users to obtain read and write access to the hardware CR8 register.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-12154?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-12154?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2017-12154 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12154 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-12154 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-12154 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Sep 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12154 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12154/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12154/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-12154
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12154
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-12154

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12154/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.