CVE-2016-5238

Name: CVE-2016-5238
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-06-14T14:59:00.117+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.4/10EPSS 0.42%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-5238 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.4/10 on the CVSS scale. The get_cmd function in hw/scsi/esp.c in QEMU might allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and QEMU process crash) via vectors related to reading from the information transfer buffer in non-DMA mode.. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The get_cmd function in hw/scsi/esp.c in QEMU might allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and QEMU process crash) via vectors related to reading from the information transfer buffer in non-DMA mode.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

4.4/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.42%

33.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-787

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Qemu	Qemu	<= 2.6.2
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	12.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/02/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/02/9Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90995Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3047-1Third Party Advisory
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3047-2Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1341931Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-05/msg05691.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-06/msg00150.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/02/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/02/9Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90995Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3047-1Third Party Advisory
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3047-2Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1341931Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-05/msg05691.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-06/msg00150.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 14, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-5238?

How severe is CVE-2016-5238?

CVE-2016-5238 has a CVSS score of 4.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.42% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5238?

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-2016-5238?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST