HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-3544
MEDIUM

CVE-2021-3544

CWE-401Published: June 2, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Several memory leaks were found in the virtio vhost-user GPU device (vhost-user-gpu) of QEMU in versions up to and including 6.0. They exist in contrib/vhost-user-gpu/vhost-user-gpu.c and contrib/vhost-user-gpu/virgl.c due to improper release of memory (i.e., free) after effective lifetime.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-3544 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
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/31/1
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-27
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210720-0008/
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4980
ADVISORYhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/31/1
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-27
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210720-0008/
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4980

All References (10)

→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/31/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1958935Issue Tracking
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-27Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210720-0008/Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4980Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/31/1Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1958935Issue Tracking
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-27Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210720-0008/Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4980Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-3544
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-401
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 2, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-401)

CVE-2021-40633
8.8
CVE-2023-33718
8.8
CVE-2019-6128
8.8
CVE-2019-17340
8.8
CVE-2026-0646
8.7
CVE-2025-20133
8.6

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-3544 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.
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