HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-7550
HIGH

CVE-2018-7550

CWE-125Published: March 1, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The load_multiboot function in hw/i386/multiboot.c in Quick Emulator (aka QEMU) allows local guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via a mh_load_end_addr value greater than mh_bss_end_addr, which triggers an out-of-bounds read or write memory access.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-7550 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.

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

Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
qemu1 product(s)
qemu
Red Hat6 product(s)
enterprise linux desktopenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server eusenterprise linux server tusenterprise linux workstation
Source: NVD CPE · 18 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

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

All References (22)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-7550
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-125
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedMar 1, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-125)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2018-7550 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.