HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-5278
MEDIUM

CVE-2015-5278

CWE-835Published: January 23, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The ne2000_receive function in hw/net/ne2000.c in QEMU before 2.4.0.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and instance crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors related to receiving packets.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-5278 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

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

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

arista1 product(s)
eos
Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
Source: NVD CPE · 11 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (16)

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/09/15/2Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2015-09/msg03985.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/09/15/2Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2015-09/msg03985.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-5278
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-835
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 23, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-835)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2015-5278 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.