HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-3214
MEDIUMPOC

CVE-2015-3214

CWE-119Published: August 31, 2015· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.9
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The pit_ioport_read in i8254.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.33 and QEMU before 2.3.1 does not distinguish between read lengths and write lengths, which might allow guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the host OS by triggering use of an invalid index.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-3214 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2015-3214. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityM
Privileges Req.
User Interaction
Scope
Impact
ConfidentialityC
IntegrityC
AvailabilityC
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Affected Vendors & Products

arista1 product(s)
eos
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Lenovo2 product(s)
emc px12-400r ivxemc px12-450r ivx
Linux1 product(s)
linux kernel
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
Red Hat13 product(s)
openstackvirtualizationenterprise linux compute node eusenterprise linux for power big endianenterprise linux for power big endian eusenterprise linux for scientific computingenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server eusenterprise linux server from rhuienterprise linux server tusenterprise linux server update services for sap solutions+1
Source: NVD CPE · 51 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttp://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924
PATCHhttps://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924
PATCHhttp://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924
PATCHhttps://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924
ADVISORYhttp://mirror.linux.org.au/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.33
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1507.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1508.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1512.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3348
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/75273
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032598
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201510-02
ADVISORYhttps://support.lenovo.com/product_security/qemu
ADVISORYhttps://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/qemu
ADVISORYhttps://www.arista.com/en/support/advisories-notices/security-advisories/1180-security-advisory-13
ADVISORYhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37990/
ADVISORYhttp://mirror.linux.org.au/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.33
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1507.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1508.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1512.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3348
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/75273
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032598
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201510-02
ADVISORYhttps://support.lenovo.com/product_security/qemu
ADVISORYhttps://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/qemu
ADVISORYhttps://www.arista.com/en/support/advisories-notices/security-advisories/1180-security-advisory-13
ADVISORYhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37990/

All References (34)

→
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
http://mirror.linux.org.au/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.33Broken Link · Vendor Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1507.htmlIssue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1508.htmlIssue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1512.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3348Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/06/25/7Mailing List
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/75273Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1032598Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1229640Issue Tracking
→
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/ee73f656a604d5aa9df86a97102e4e462dd79924Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201510-02Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://support.lenovo.com/product_security/qemuThird Party Advisory
→
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/qemuThird Party Advisory
→
https://www.arista.com/en/support/advisories-notices/security-advisories/1180-security-advisory-13Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-3214
CVSS Score6.9 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected6 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 31, 2015

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

CVE-2002-2400
10.0
CVE-2007-4642
10.0
CVE-2014-7186
10.0
CVE-2007-4584
10.0
CVE-2014-7187
10.0
CVE-2009-0065
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2015-3214 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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