CVE-2016-6259

Name: CVE-2016-6259
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-08-02T16:59:09.133+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 0.64%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-6259 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. Xen 4.5.x through 4.7.x do not implement Supervisor Mode Access Prevention (SMAP) whitelisting in 32-bit exception and event delivery, which allows local 32-bit PV guest OS kernels to cause a denial of service (hypervisor and VM crash) by triggering a safety check.. EPSS estimates a 0.64% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Xen 4.5.x through 4.7.x do not implement Supervisor Mode Access Prevention (SMAP) whitelisting in 32-bit exception and event delivery, which allows local 32-bit PV guest OS kernels to cause a denial of service (hypervisor and VM crash) by triggering a safety check.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.64%

45.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-20

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Xen	Xen	4.5.0	—
Xen	Xen	4.5.1	—
Xen	Xen	4.5.2	—
Xen	Xen	4.5.3	—
Xen	Xen	4.6.0	—
Xen	Xen	4.6.1	—
Xen	Xen	4.6.3	—
Xen	Xen	4.7.0	—
Citrix	Xenserver	6.0	—
Citrix	Xenserver	6.0.2	—
Citrix	Xenserver	6.1	—
Citrix	Xenserver	6.2.0	Sp1
Citrix	Xenserver	6.5.0	Sp1
Citrix	Xenserver	7.0	—

References

http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX214954Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92130Third Party Advisory
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036447Third Party Advisory
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-183.htmlMailing List, Patch
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa183-4.6.patchMitigation, Patch
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa183-unstable.patchMitigation, Patch
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX214954Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92130Third Party Advisory
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036447Third Party Advisory
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-183.htmlMailing List, Patch
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa183-4.6.patchMitigation, Patch
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/xsa183-unstable.patchMitigation, Patch

Timeline

Published: Aug 2, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-6259?

How severe is CVE-2016-6259?

Severity scoring for CVE-2016-6259 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.64% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6259?

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-2016-6259?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST