Description
Xen 3.4 through 4.2, and possibly earlier versions, allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (Xen infinite loop and physical CPU consumption) by setting a VCPU with an "inappropriate deadline."
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 | 4.1.3-4 | — |
| Debian 13 | xen | 4.1.3-4 | — |
| Debian 12 | xen | 4.1.3-4 | — |
| Debian 6.0 | xen | 4.0.1-5.5 | DSA-2582-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 5 | kernel +12 | 2.6.18-308.24.1.el5 | RHSA-2012:1540 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | xen | 4.7.0_12-1.3 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10196-1 |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2012:1540 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- DSA-2582-1 xen - denial of service 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
- RHSA-2012:1540 vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2014:0470 vendor-advisory
- 55082 third-party-advisory
- 1027759 vdb-entry
- [Xen-announce] 20121113 Xen Security Advisory 20 (CVE-2012-4535) - Timer overflow DoS vulnerability mailing-list
- 51413 third-party-advisory
- 51200 third-party-advisory
- GLSA-201309-24 vendor-advisory
- DSA-2582 vendor-advisory
- 87298 vdb-entry
- SUSE-SU-2012:1486 vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20121113 Xen Security Advisory 20 (CVE-2012-4535) - Timer overflow DoS vulnerability mailing-list
- openSUSE-SU-2012:1572 vendor-advisory
- 51468 third-party-advisory
- xen-vcpu-dos(80022) vdb-entry
- SUSE-SU-2012:1487 vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2014:0446 vendor-advisory
- 51352 third-party-advisory
- 51324 third-party-advisory
- GLSA-201604-03 vendor-advisory
- 56498 vdb-entry
- SUSE-SU-2012:1615 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2012:1573 vendor-advisory