HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-4952
MEDIUM

CVE-2016-4952

CWE-787Published: September 2, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.0
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

QEMU (aka Quick Emulator), when built with VMWARE PVSCSI paravirtual SCSI bus emulation support, allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds array access) via vectors related to the (1) PVSCSI_CMD_SETUP_RINGS or (2) PVSCSI_CMD_SETUP_MSG_RING SCSI command.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-4952 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires high 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 6.0.

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.High
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
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 (14)

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1334384Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-05/msg03774.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1334384Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2016-05/msg03774.htmlMailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-4952
CVSS Score6.0 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 2, 2016

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2016-4952 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.