Description
VNC server implementation in Quick Emulator (QEMU) 2.11.0 and older was found to be vulnerable to an unbounded memory allocation issue, as it did not throttle the framebuffer updates sent to its client. If the client did not consume these updates, VNC server allocates growing memory to hold onto this data. A malicious remote VNC client could use this flaw to cause DoS to the server host.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| QEMU | Qemu | 2.11.0 and older | — |
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 | 1:2.12~rc3+dfsg-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | qemu | 1:2.12~rc3+dfsg-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | qemu | 1:2.12~rc3+dfsg-1 | — |
| Debian 9 | qemu | 1:2.8+dfsg-6+deb9u4 | DSA-4213-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | qemu | 1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.22 | USN-3575-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | qemu | 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.39 | USN-3575-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | qemu | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | qemu | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | qemu-img +3 | 10:1.5.3-156.el7 | RHSA-2018:0816 |
| RHEL 7 | qemu-img-ma +3 | 10:2.12.0-18.el7 | RHSA-2018:3062 |
| RHEL 7 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1104 |
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenStack 12 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1113 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 11 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1113 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 10 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1113 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 9 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1113 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 8 | qemu-img-rhev +3 | 10:2.10.0-21.el7 | RHSA-2018:1113 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP3 | qemu | 2.9.1-6.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:0762-1 |
| SLES 12 SP2 | qemu | 2.6.2-41.37.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:0831-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | qemu | 2.9.1-6.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:0762-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | qemu | 2.6.2-41.37.1 | SUSE-SU-2018:0831-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | qemu-img +3 | 10:1.5.3-156.amzn2.2.3 | ALAS2-2018-1034 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | qemu +10 | 15:3.0.0-1.el7 | ELSA-2019-4585, ELSA-2018-4289, ELSA-2018-4285 |
| Oracle Linux 7 | qemu-img +3 | 10:1.5.3-156.el7 | ELSA-2019-4585, ELSA-2018-4289, ELSA-2018-4285 |
Advisories 14
- RHSA-2018:1113 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm-rhev security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2018:1104 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm-rhev security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 1, 2026
- RHSA-2018:3062 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm-ma security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- RHSA-2018:0816 Red Hat Security Advisory: qemu-kvm security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 29, 2026
- DSA-4213-1 qemu - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- USN-3575-1 qemu vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:0831-1 Security update for qemu SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:0762-1 Security update for qemu SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- WID-SEC-2024-1999 Red Hat Enterprise Linux/QEMU: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Sep 2, 2024
- ELSA-2019-4585 Important: qemu security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Mar 15, 2019
- ELSA-2018-4289 Important: qemu security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 28, 2018
- ELSA-2018-4285 Important: qemu security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 20, 2018
- ALAS2-2018-1034 Important: qemu-kvm security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jun 11, 2018
- ELSA-2018-0816 Low: qemu-kvm security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Apr 16, 2018
References
- 102295 vdb-entry
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1525195
- DSA-4213 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2018:0816 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2018:1104 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2018:1113 vendor-advisory
- USN-3575-1 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2018:3062 vendor-advisory