CVE-2016-9846
CWE-119Published: December 29, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) built with the Virtio GPU Device emulator support is vulnerable to a memory leakage issue. It could occur while updating the cursor data in update_cursor_data_virgl. A guest user/process could use this flaw to leak host memory bytes, resulting in DoS for a host.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2016-9846 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.
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
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (10)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-119)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2016-9846 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts