CVE-2009-1242: The vmx_set_msr function in arch/x86/kvm/vmx.c in the VMX implementation in the KVM subsystem in the Linux...

Security readout for executives and security teams

This vulnerability affects old Linux KVM virtualization hosts. A user inside a guest operating system could trigger a kernel OOPS on certain 32-bit Intel VMX hosts, causing denial of service. The issue is narrow and legacy, but it matters where unsupported kernels still run virtualization workloads. Exposure is most likely on legacy 32-bit Linux KVM hosts using Intel VMX and kernels older than 2.6.29.1, or vendor kernels not carrying the fix. Modern supported distributions are unlikely to remain exposed unless deliberately pinned to very old kernels. Prioritize remediation only where legacy KVM hosts still support production workloads. For modern environments, this is mainly a hygiene and asset-discovery issue. Business urgency rises if affected hosts run multi-tenant or customer-facing virtual machines. Mitigation focus: Upgrade affected Linux kernels to 2.6.29.1 or a vendor-fixed build.; Apply relevant distribution kernel advisories from Fedora, SUSE, Ubuntu, or Debian.; Retire or isolate legacy i386 KVM virtualization hosts..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 11:04 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.