Attackers can exploit an Intel CPU-dependent vulnerability to escape virtual machines or gain kernel privileges Some 64-bit operating systems and virtualization software programs are vulnerable to local privilege escalation attacks when running on Intel processors (CPUs), the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) said in a security advisory on Wednesday.The vulnerability is identified as CVE-2012-0217 and stems from the way Intel CPUs have implemented the SYSRET instruction in their x86-64 extension, known as Intel 64.Attackers could exploit the vulnerability to force Intel CPUs to return a general protection fault in privileged mode. This would allow them to execute code with kernel privileges from a least-privileged account, or to escape from a virtual machine and gain control of the host operating system.The vulnerability can only be exploited on Intel CPUs when the Intel 64 extension is in use. This means that 32-bit operating systems or virtualization software are not vulnerable. Some of the operating systems confirmed as vulnerable so far include x64-based versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, the 64-bit versions of FreeBSD and NetBSD, the Xen virtualization software, as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, which include the Xen hypervisor by default.The VMWare security response team confirmed that VMware’s hypervisor does not make use of the SYSRET instruction and is, therefore, not vulnerable to this attack, US-CERT said. Most of the affected vendors have released security patches to address this vulnerability and users are advised to install them as soon as possible. Microsoft addressed it on Tuesday as part of its MS12-042 security bulletin.The privilege escalation attack is not applicable to AMD processors because they handle the SYSRET instruction differently, the Xen security team said in their advisory. However, under similar attack conditions, older AMD CPUs might lock up, resulting in a denial of service condition, the team said. Related content feature Expedia poised to take flight with generative AI CTO Rathi Murthy sees the online travel service’s vast troves of data and AI expertise fueling a two-pronged transformation strategy aimed at growing the company by bringing more of the travel industry online. By Paula Rooney Jun 02, 2023 7 mins Travel and Hospitality Industry Digital Transformation Artificial Intelligence case study Deoleo doubles down on sustainability through digital transformation The Spanish multinational olive oil processing company is immersed in a digital transformation journey to achieve operational efficiency and contribute to the company's sustainability strategy. By Nuria Cordon Jun 02, 2023 6 mins CIO Supply Chain Digital Transformation brandpost Resilient data backup and recovery is critical to enterprise success As global data volumes rise, business must prioritize their resiliency strategies. By Neal Weinberg Jun 01, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Democratizing HPC with multicloud to accelerate engineering innovations Cloud for HPC is facilitating broader access to high performance computing and accelerating innovations and opportunities for all types of organizations. By Tanya O'Hara Jun 01, 2023 6 mins Multi Cloud Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe