CVE-2016-6836

Name: CVE-2016-6836
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-12-10T00:59:07.997+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6/10EPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-6836 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6/10 on the CVSS scale. The vmxnet3_complete_packet function in hw/net/vmxnet3.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to obtain sensitive host memory information by leveraging failure to initialize the txcq_descr object.. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The vmxnet3_complete_packet function in hw/net/vmxnet3.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to obtain sensitive host memory information by leveraging failure to initialize the txcq_descr object.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.40%

31.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-665

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Qemu	Qemu	<= 2.7.1
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0

References

http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=fdda170e50b8af062cf5741e12c4fb5e57a2eacf
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/08/11/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/08/18/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92444Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-08/msg02108.htmlPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201609-01Third Party Advisory
http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=fdda170e50b8af062cf5741e12c4fb5e57a2eacf
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/08/11/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/08/18/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/92444Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-08/msg02108.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-2016-6836?

How severe is CVE-2016-6836?

CVE-2016-6836 has a CVSS score of 6/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6836?

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-2016-6836?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST