Description
Xen 4.1 before 4.1.1 and 4.0 before 4.0.2, when using PCI passthrough on Intel VT-d chipsets that do not have interrupt remapping, allows guest OS users to gain host OS privileges by "using DMA to generate MSI interrupts by writing to the interrupt injection registers."
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | xen | 4.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | xen | 4.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | xen | 4.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 6.0 | xen | 4.0.1-4 | DSA-2337-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | perf +14 | 2.6.32-131.12.1.el6 | RHSA-2011:1189 |
| RHEL 5 | kernel +12 | 2.6.18-274.12.1.el5 | RHSA-2011:1479 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 5.6 EUS | kernel +12 | 2.6.18-238.35.1.el5 | RHSA-2012:0358 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | xen | 4.7.0_12-1.3 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10196-1 |
Advisories 5
- RHSA-2012:0358 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2011:1479 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2011:1189 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- DSA-2337-1 xen - several vulnerabilities Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10196-1 xen-4.7.0_12-1.3 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
References
- SUSE-SU-2011:0942 vendor-advisory
- http://xen.org/download/index_4.0.2.html
- [xen-dev] 20110512 Xen security advisory CVE-2011-1898 - VT-d (PCI passthrough) MSI mailing-list
- FEDORA-2011-8403 vendor-advisory
- http://www.invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2011/Software%20Attacks%20on%20Intel%20VT-d.pdf
- http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2011/05/following-white-rabbit-software-attacks.html
- openSUSE-SU-2011:0941 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2011-8421 vendor-advisory