CVE-2016-3159

Name: CVE-2016-3159
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-04-13T16:59:19.507+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-3159 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. The fpu_fxrstor function in arch/x86/i387.c in Xen 4.x does not properly handle writes to the hardware FSW.ES bit when running on AMD64 processors, which allows local guest OS users to obtain sensitive register content information from another guest by leveraging pending exception and mask bits. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2013-2076.. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The fpu_fxrstor function in arch/x86/i387.c in Xen 4.x does not properly handle writes to the hardware FSW.ES bit when running on AMD64 processors, which allows local guest OS users to obtain sensitive register content information from another guest by leveraging pending exception and mask bits. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2013-2076.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.40%

31.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Oracle	Vm Server	3.3
Oracle	Vm Server	3.4
Xen	Xen	>= 4.3.0, <= 4.3.4
Xen	Xen	>= 4.4.0, <= 4.4.4
Xen	Xen	>= 4.5.0, <= 4.5.3
Xen	Xen	>= 4.6.0, <= 4.6.1
Fedoraproject	Fedora	22
Fedoraproject	Fedora	23
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0

References

http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-April/181699.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-April/181729.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX209443Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3554Third Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/ovmbulletinjul2016-3090546.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/85716Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035435Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-172.htmlPatch, Vendor Advisory
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa172.patchPatch, Vendor Advisory
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-April/181699.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-April/181729.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX209443Third Party Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3554Third Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/ovmbulletinjul2016-3090546.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/85716Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1035435Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-172.htmlPatch, Vendor Advisory
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa172.patchPatch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-3159?

How severe is CVE-2016-3159?

Severity scoring for CVE-2016-3159 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3159?

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-2016-3159?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST