HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-8568
MEDIUM

CVE-2015-8568

CWE-772Published: April 11, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Memory leak in QEMU, when built with a VMWARE VMXNET3 paravirtual NIC emulator support, allows local guest users to cause a denial of service (host memory consumption) by trying to activate the vmxnet3 device repeatedly.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-8568 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.5.

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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

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

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

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

All References (12)

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79721Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1289816Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2015-12/msg02299.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79721Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1289816Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2015-12/msg02299.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-8568
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-772
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedApr 11, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-772)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2015-8568 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.