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SciLinux: SLSA-2018:0030-1 Critical: Libvirt Speculative Execution Issue

Calendar Jan 04, 2018 • User Avatar LinuxSecurity Advisories
1 - 2 min read
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Topics%20covered

Topics Covered

security advisory important update libvirt cache attack SL6 speculative execution
An industry-wide issue was found in the way many modern microprocessor designs have implemented speculative execution of instructions (a commonly used performance optimization). There are three primary variants of the issue which differ in the way the speculative execution can be exploited. Variant CVE-2017-5715 triggers the speculative execution by utilizing branch target injection. It relies [More...] 
Synopsis:          Important: libvirt security update
Advisory ID:       SLSA-2018:0030-1
Issue Date:        2018-01-04
CVE Numbers:       CVE-2017-5715
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Security Fix(es):

* An industry-wide issue was found in the way many modern microprocessor
designs have implemented speculative execution of instructions (a commonly
used performance optimization). There are three primary variants of the
issue which differ in the way the speculative execution can be exploited.
Variant CVE-2017-5715 triggers the speculative execution by utilizing
branch target injection. It relies on the presence of a precisely-defined
instruction sequence in the privileged code as well as the fact that
memory accesses may cause allocation into the microprocessor's data cache
even for speculatively executed instructions that never actually commit
(retire). As a result, an unprivileged attacker could use this flaw to
cross the syscall and guest/host boundaries and read privileged memory by
conducting targeted cache side-channel attacks. (CVE-2017-5715)

Note: This is the libvirt side of the CVE-2017-5715 mitigation.
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SL6
  x86_64
    libvirt-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
    libvirt-client-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-client-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
    libvirt-debuginfo-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-debuginfo-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
    libvirt-python-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
    libvirt-devel-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-devel-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
    libvirt-lock-sanlock-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.x86_64.rpm
  i386
    libvirt-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-client-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-debuginfo-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-python-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm
    libvirt-devel-0.10.2-62.el6_9.1.i686.rpm

- Scientific Linux Development Team