CVE-2016-5338

Name: CVE-2016-5338
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-06-14T14:59:02.76+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.50%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-5338 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. The (1) esp_reg_read and (2) esp_reg_write functions in hw/scsi/esp.c in QEMU allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (QEMU process crash) or execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via vectors related to the information transfer buffer.. EPSS estimates a 0.50% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The (1) esp_reg_read and (2) esp_reg_write functions in hw/scsi/esp.c in QEMU allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (QEMU process crash) or execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via vectors related to the information transfer buffer.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.50%

38.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

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://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=ff589551c8e8e9e95e211b9d8daafb4ed39f1aec
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/07/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/08/14Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91079Third 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://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-06/msg01507.htmlMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory
http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=ff589551c8e8e9e95e211b9d8daafb4ed39f1aec
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/07/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/08/14Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91079Third 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://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-06/msg01507.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-2016-5338?

How severe is CVE-2016-5338?

CVE-2016-5338 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.50% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-5338?

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-2016-5338?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST