diff --git a/src/libs/kata-sys-util/Cargo.toml b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/Cargo.toml
index 40381b4d05..0d6cff91fb 100644
--- a/src/libs/kata-sys-util/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ license = "Apache-2.0"
 edition = "2018"
 
 [dependencies]
+anyhow = "1.0.31"
 byteorder = "1.4.3"
 cgroups = { package = "cgroups-rs", version = "0.3.2" }
 chrono = "0.4.0"
diff --git a/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/cpu.rs b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/cpu.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e1bef38de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/cpu.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,372 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2022 Intel Corporation
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+//
+
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+const ERR_NO_CPUINFO: &str = "cpu_info string is empty";
+
+pub const PROC_CPUINFO: &str = "/proc/cpuinfo";
+
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+pub const CPUINFO_DELIMITER: &str = "\nprocessor";
+#[cfg(target_arch = "x86_64")]
+pub const CPUINFO_FLAGS_TAG: &str = "flags";
+
+fn read_file_contents(file_path: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let contents = std::fs::read_to_string(file_path)?;
+    Ok(contents)
+}
+
+// get_single_cpu_info returns the contents of the first cpu from
+// the specified cpuinfo file by parsing based on a specified delimiter
+pub fn get_single_cpu_info(cpu_info_file: &str, substring: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let contents = read_file_contents(cpu_info_file)?;
+
+    if contents.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO));
+    }
+
+    let subcontents: Vec<&str> = contents.split(substring).collect();
+    let result = subcontents
+        .first()
+        .ok_or("error splitting contents of cpuinfo")
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow!(e))?
+        .to_string();
+    Ok(result)
+}
+
+// get_cpu_flags returns a string of cpu flags from cpuinfo, passed in
+// as a string
+#[cfg(any(target_arch = "s390x", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
+pub fn get_cpu_flags(cpu_info: &str, cpu_flags_tag: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    if cpu_info.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO));
+    }
+
+    if cpu_flags_tag.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!("cpu flags delimiter string is empty"))?;
+    }
+
+    get_cpu_flags_from_file(cpu_info, cpu_flags_tag)
+}
+
+// get a list of cpu flags in cpu_info_flags
+//
+// cpu_info is the content of cpuinfo file passed in as a string
+// returns empty Vec if no flags are found
+#[cfg(any(target_arch = "s390x", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
+pub fn get_cpu_flags_vec(cpu_info: &str, cpu_flags_tag: &str) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
+    if cpu_info.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO));
+    }
+
+    if cpu_flags_tag.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!("cpu flags delimiter string is empty"))?;
+    }
+
+    let flags = get_cpu_flags_from_file(cpu_info, cpu_flags_tag)?;
+
+    // take each flag, trim whitespace, convert to String, and add to list
+    // skip the first token in the iterator since it is empty
+    let flags_vec: Vec<String> = flags
+        .split(' ')
+        .skip(1)
+        .map(|f| f.trim().to_string())
+        .collect::<Vec<String>>();
+
+    Ok(flags_vec)
+}
+
+// check if the given flag exists in the given flags_vec
+//
+// flags_vec can be created by calling get_cpu_flags_vec
+#[cfg(any(target_arch = "s390x", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
+pub fn contains_cpu_flag(flags_vec: &[String], flag: &str) -> Result<bool> {
+    if flag.is_empty() {
+        return Err(anyhow!("parameter specifying flag to look for is empty"))?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(flags_vec.iter().any(|f| f == flag))
+}
+
+// get a String containing the cpu flags in cpu_info
+//
+// this function returns the list of flags as a single String
+// if no flags are found, returns an empty String
+#[cfg(any(target_arch = "s390x", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
+fn get_cpu_flags_from_file(cpu_info: &str, cpu_flags_tag: &str) -> Result<String> {
+    let subcontents: Vec<&str> = cpu_info.split('\n').collect();
+    for line in subcontents {
+        if line.starts_with(cpu_flags_tag) {
+            let line_data: Vec<&str> = line.split(':').collect();
+            let flags = line_data
+                .last()
+                .ok_or("error splitting flags in cpuinfo")
+                .map_err(|e| anyhow!(e))?
+                .to_string();
+            return Ok(flags);
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok("".to_string())
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(target_arch = "s390x", target_arch = "x86_64"))]
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::fs;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use tempfile::tempdir;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_single_cpu_info() {
+        // Valid cpuinfo example
+        let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+        let file_path_full = dir.path().join("cpuinfo_full");
+        let path_full = file_path_full.clone();
+        let mut file_full = fs::File::create(file_path_full).unwrap();
+        let contents = "processor : 0\nvendor_id : VendorExample\nflags : flag_1 flag_2 flag_3 flag_4\nprocessor : 1\n".to_string();
+        writeln!(file_full, "{}", contents).unwrap();
+
+        // Empty cpuinfo example
+        let file_path_empty = dir.path().join("cpuinfo_empty");
+        let path_empty = file_path_empty.clone();
+        let mut _file_empty = fs::File::create(file_path_empty).unwrap();
+
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        struct TestData<'a> {
+            cpuinfo_path: &'a str,
+            processor_delimiter_str: &'a str,
+            result: Result<String>,
+        }
+        let tests = &[
+            // Failure scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpuinfo_path: "",
+                processor_delimiter_str: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!("No such file or directory (os error 2)")),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpuinfo_path: &path_empty.as_path().display().to_string(),
+                processor_delimiter_str: "\nprocessor",
+                result: Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO)),
+            },
+            // Success scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpuinfo_path: &path_full.as_path().display().to_string(),
+                processor_delimiter_str: "\nprocessor",
+                result: Ok(
+                    "processor : 0\nvendor_id : VendorExample\nflags : flag_1 flag_2 flag_3 flag_4"
+                        .to_string(),
+                ),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        for (i, d) in tests.iter().enumerate() {
+            let msg = format!("test[{}]: {:?}", i, d);
+            let result = get_single_cpu_info(d.cpuinfo_path, d.processor_delimiter_str);
+            let msg = format!("{}, result: {:?}", msg, result);
+
+            if d.result.is_ok() {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    d.result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    "{}",
+                    msg
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let expected_error = format!("{}", d.result.as_ref().unwrap_err());
+            let actual_error = format!("{}", result.unwrap_err());
+            assert!(actual_error == expected_error, "{}", msg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_cpu_flags() {
+        let contents = "processor : 0\nvendor_id : VendorExample\nflags : flag_1 flag_2 flag_3 flag_4\nprocessor : 1\n";
+
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        struct TestData<'a> {
+            cpu_info_str: &'a str,
+            cpu_flags_tag: &'a str,
+            result: Result<String>,
+        }
+        let tests = &[
+            // Failure scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: "",
+                cpu_flags_tag: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO)),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: "",
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags",
+                result: Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO)),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!("cpu flags delimiter string is empty")),
+            },
+            // Success scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags",
+                result: Ok(" flag_1 flag_2 flag_3 flag_4".to_string()),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags_err",
+                result: Ok("".to_string()),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        for (i, d) in tests.iter().enumerate() {
+            let msg = format!("test[{}]: {:?}", i, d);
+            let result = get_cpu_flags(d.cpu_info_str, d.cpu_flags_tag);
+            let msg = format!("{}, result: {:?}", msg, result);
+
+            if d.result.is_ok() {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    d.result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    "{}",
+                    msg
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let expected_error = format!("{}", d.result.as_ref().unwrap_err());
+            let actual_error = format!("{}", result.unwrap_err());
+            assert!(actual_error == expected_error, "{}", msg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_cpu_flags_vec() {
+        let contents = "processor : 0\nvendor_id : VendorExample\nflags : flag_1 flag_2 flag_3 flag_4\nprocessor : 1\n";
+
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        struct TestData<'a> {
+            cpu_info_str: &'a str,
+            cpu_flags_tag: &'a str,
+            result: Result<Vec<String>>,
+        }
+        let tests = &[
+            // Failure scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: "",
+                cpu_flags_tag: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO)),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: "",
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags",
+                result: Err(anyhow!(ERR_NO_CPUINFO)),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!("cpu flags delimiter string is empty")),
+            },
+            // Success scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags",
+                result: Ok(vec![
+                    "flag_1".to_string(),
+                    "flag_2".to_string(),
+                    "flag_3".to_string(),
+                    "flag_4".to_string(),
+                ]),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_info_str: contents,
+                cpu_flags_tag: "flags_err",
+                result: Ok(Vec::new()),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        for (i, d) in tests.iter().enumerate() {
+            let msg = format!("test[{}]: {:?}", i, d);
+            let result = get_cpu_flags_vec(d.cpu_info_str, d.cpu_flags_tag);
+            let msg = format!("{}, result: {:?}", msg, result);
+
+            if d.result.is_ok() {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    d.result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    "{}",
+                    msg
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let expected_error = format!("{}", d.result.as_ref().unwrap_err());
+            let actual_error = format!("{}", result.unwrap_err());
+            assert!(actual_error == expected_error, "{}", msg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_contains_cpu_flag() {
+        let flags_vec = vec![
+            "flag_1".to_string(),
+            "flag_2".to_string(),
+            "flag_3".to_string(),
+            "flag_4".to_string(),
+        ];
+
+        #[derive(Debug)]
+        struct TestData<'a> {
+            cpu_flags_vec: &'a Vec<String>,
+            cpu_flag: &'a str,
+            result: Result<bool>,
+        }
+        let tests = &[
+            // Failure scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_flags_vec: &flags_vec,
+                cpu_flag: "flag_5",
+                result: Ok(false),
+            },
+            TestData {
+                cpu_flags_vec: &flags_vec,
+                cpu_flag: "",
+                result: Err(anyhow!("parameter specifying flag to look for is empty")),
+            },
+            // Success scenarios
+            TestData {
+                cpu_flags_vec: &flags_vec,
+                cpu_flag: "flag_1",
+                result: Ok(true),
+            },
+        ];
+
+        for (i, d) in tests.iter().enumerate() {
+            let msg = format!("test[{}]: {:?}", i, d);
+            let result = contains_cpu_flag(&d.cpu_flags_vec, d.cpu_flag);
+            let msg = format!("{}, result: {:?}", msg, result);
+
+            if d.result.is_ok() {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    d.result.as_ref().unwrap(),
+                    "{}",
+                    msg
+                );
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let expected_error = format!("{}", d.result.as_ref().unwrap_err());
+            let actual_error = format!("{}", result.unwrap_err());
+            assert!(actual_error == expected_error, "{}", msg);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/lib.rs b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/lib.rs
index 2c90adb7c4..f7dad32906 100644
--- a/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/libs/kata-sys-util/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate slog;
 
+pub mod cpu;
 pub mod device;
 pub mod fs;
 pub mod hooks;