HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-7504
HIGH

CVE-2015-7504

CWE-787Published: October 16, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the pcnet_receive function in hw/net/pcnet.c in QEMU allows guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (instance crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a series of packets in loopback mode.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-7504 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

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

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
xen1 product(s)
xen
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (26)

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/11/30/2Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/78227Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034268Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-162.htmlMitigation · Patch · Vendor Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2015-11/msg06342.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201602-01Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201604-03Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-7504
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 16, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2015-7504 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.