CVE-2017-5579

Name: CVE-2017-5579
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2017-03-15T15:59:00.89+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2017-5579 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Memory leak in the serial_exit_core function in hw/char/serial.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS privileged users to cause a denial of service (host memory consumption and QEMU process crash) via a large number of device unplug operations.. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Memory leak in the serial_exit_core function in hw/char/serial.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS privileged users to cause a denial of service (host memory consumption and QEMU process crash) via a large number of device unplug operations.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.40%

31.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-401

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Qemu	Qemu	<= 2.8.1.1	—
Qemu	Qemu	2.9.0	Rc0
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0	—

References

http://git.qemu-project.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=8409dc884a201bf74b30a9d232b6bbdd00cb7e2b
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/24/8Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/25/3Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95780Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2392Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2408Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00007.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-28Third Party Advisory
http://git.qemu-project.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=8409dc884a201bf74b30a9d232b6bbdd00cb7e2b
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/24/8Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/01/25/3Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95780Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2392Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2408Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00007.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-28Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 15, 2017
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-5579?

How severe is CVE-2017-5579?

CVE-2017-5579 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5579?

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-2017-5579?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST