Description
Memory leak in the usb_xhci_exit function in hw/usb/hcd-xhci.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator), when the xhci uses msix, allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and possibly QEMU process crash) by repeatedly unplugging a USB device.
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 | qemu | 1:2.7+dfsg-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | qemu | 1:2.7+dfsg-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | qemu | 1:2.7+dfsg-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | qemu | 1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.6 | USN-3125-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | qemu | 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.30 | USN-3125-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-14.el7 | RHSA-2017:2392 |
Show 6 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenStack 11 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 10 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 9 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 8 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 7 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 6 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.9.0-10.el7 | RHSA-2017:2408 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP2 | qemu | 2.6.2-31.2 | SUSE-SU-2016:2879-1 |
| SLES 12 SP1 | qemu | 2.3.1-24.6 | SUSE-SU-2016:2988-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | qemu | 2.6.2-31.2 | SUSE-SU-2016:2879-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP1 | qemu | 2.3.1-24.6 | SUSE-SU-2016:2988-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | qemu | 6.1.0-32.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11287-1 |
Advisories 6
- RHSA-2017:2392 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm-rhev security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2017:2408 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm-rhev security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- USN-3125-1 qemu, qemu-kvm vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:2879-1 Security update for qemu SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:2988-1 Security update for qemu SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11287-1 qemu-6.1.0-32.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
References
- [oss-security] 20160920 CVE Request Qemu: usb: xhci memory leakage during device unplug mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20160920 Re: CVE Request Qemu: usb: xhci memory leakage during device unplug mailing-list
- GLSA-201611-11 vendor-advisory
- 93029 vdb-entry
- RHSA-2017:2392 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2016:3237 vendor-advisory
- http://git.qemu.org/?p=qemu.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b53dd4495ced2432a0b652ea895e651d07336f7e
- [qemu-devel] 20160913 [PATCH v2] usb:xhci:fix memory leak in usb_xhci_exit mailing-list
- RHSA-2017:2408 vendor-advisory