CVE-2016-9923
CWE-416Published: December 23, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
Quick Emulator (Qemu) built with the 'chardev' backend support is vulnerable to a use after free issue. It could occur while hotplug and unplugging the device in the guest. A guest user/process could use this flaw to crash a Qemu process on the host resulting in DoS.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2016-9923 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 5.5.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (6)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-416)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2016-9923 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts