CVE-2016-7909

Name: CVE-2016-7909
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-10-05T16:59:12.243+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 4.4/10EPSS 0.42%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-7909 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.4/10 on the CVSS scale. The pcnet_rdra_addr function in hw/net/pcnet.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) by setting the (1) receive or (2) transmit descriptor ring length to 0.. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The pcnet_rdra_addr function in hw/net/pcnet.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) by setting the (1) receive or (2) transmit descriptor ring length to 0.

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%

33.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-835

Affected Software

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

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-12/msg00140.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/03/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/03/6Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93275Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-09/msg07942.htmlMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201611-11Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2016-12/msg00140.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/03/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/03/6Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93275Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/11/msg00038.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-09/msg07942.htmlMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201611-11Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 5, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-7909?

How severe is CVE-2016-7909?

CVE-2016-7909 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-2016-7909?

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-2016-7909?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST