CVE-2016-6490

Name: CVE-2016-6490
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-12-10T00:59:01.76+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.4/10EPSS 0.39%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-6490 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.4/10 on the CVSS scale. The virtqueue_map_desc function in hw/virtio/virtio.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) via a zero length for the descriptor buffer.. EPSS estimates a 0.39% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The virtqueue_map_desc function in hw/virtio/virtio.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) via a zero length for the descriptor buffer.

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

0.39%

31.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-120

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Qemu	Qemu	<= 2.6.2	—
Qemu	Qemu	2.7.0	Rc0

References

http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=1e7aed70144b4673fc26e73062064b6724795e5f
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/07/28/4Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/07/28/9Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-07/msg06246.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory
http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=1e7aed70144b4673fc26e73062064b6724795e5f
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/07/28/4Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/07/28/9Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-07/msg06246.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 10, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-6490?

How severe is CVE-2016-6490?

CVE-2016-6490 has a CVSS score of 4.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.39% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6490?

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-2016-6490?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST