CVE-2015-8551

Name: CVE-2015-8551
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-04-13T15:59:05.257+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6/10EPSS 0.45%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2015-8551 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6/10 on the CVSS scale. The PCI backend driver in Xen, when running on an x86 system and using Linux 3.1.x through 4.3.x as the driver domain, allows local guest administrators to hit BUG conditions and cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and host OS crash) by leveraging a system with access to a passed-through MSI or MSI-X capable physical PCI device and a crafted sequence of XEN_PCI_OP_* operations, aka "Linux pciback missing sanity checks.". EPSS estimates a 0.45% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The PCI backend driver in Xen, when running on an x86 system and using Linux 3.1.x through 4.3.x as the driver domain, allows local guest administrators to hit BUG conditions and cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and host OS crash) by leveraging a system with access to a passed-through MSI or MSI-X capable physical PCI device and a crafted sequence of XEN_PCI_OP_* operations, aka "Linux pciback missing sanity checks."

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.45%

35.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 3.1, <= 3.1.10	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 4.3.0, <= 4.3.6	—
Debian	Debian Linux	7.0	—
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0	—
Opensuse	Opensuse	13.1	—
Suse	Linux Enterprise Desktop	11	Sp4
Suse	Linux Enterprise Desktop	12	Sp1
Suse	Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension	11	Sp4
Suse	Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension	12	Sp1
Suse	Linux Enterprise Server	11	—
Suse	Linux Enterprise Server	12	Sp1
Suse	Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit	11	Sp4
Suse	Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit	12	Sp1
Suse	Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension	12	Sp1

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-03/msg00094.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00045.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-06/msg00059.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00005.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00044.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00055.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3434Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79546Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034480Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-157.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201604-03Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-03/msg00094.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00045.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-06/msg00059.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00005.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00044.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00055.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3434Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79546Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034480Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-157.htmlVendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201604-03Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 13, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-8551?

How severe is CVE-2015-8551?

CVE-2015-8551 has a CVSS score of 6/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.45% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8551?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2015-8551?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST