Description
An issue was discovered in Xen through 4.13.x, allowing guest OS users to cause a denial of service because of bad continuation handling in GNTTABOP_copy. Grant table operations are expected to return 0 for success, and a negative number for errors. The fix for CVE-2017-12135 introduced a path through grant copy handling where success may be returned to the caller without any action taken. In particular, the status fields of individual operations are left uninitialised, and may result in errant behaviour in the caller of GNTTABOP_copy. A buggy or malicious guest can construct its grant table in such a way that, when a backend domain tries to copy a grant, it hits the incorrect exit path. This returns success to the caller without doing anything, which may cause crashes or other incorrect behaviour.
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 | 4.11.4-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | xen | 4.11.4-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | xen | 4.11.4-1 | — |
| Debian 10 | xen | 4.11.4+24-gddaaccbbab-1~deb10u1 | DSA-4723-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | xen | 4.11.3+24-g14b62ab3e5-1ubuntu2.3 | USN-5617-1 |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | xen | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | xen | No fix yet | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP1 | xen | 4.12.2_04-3.15.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1124-1 |
| SLES 12 SP5 | xen | 4.12.2_04-3.11.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1139-1 |
| SLES 12 SP4 | xen | 4.11.3_04-2.23.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1138-1 |
| SLES 12 SP3 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
| SLES 12 SP2 | xen | 4.7.6_08-43.64.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:2234-1 |
Show 13 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 11 SP4 | xen | 4.4.4_42-61.52.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:14444-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 | xen | 4.10.4_10-3.31.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1634-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP5 | xen | 4.12.2_04-3.11.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1139-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP4 | xen | 4.11.3_04-2.23.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1138-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | xen | 4.7.6_08-43.64.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:2234-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 | xen | 4.10.4_10-3.31.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1634-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 8 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 8 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 | xen | 4.7.6_08-43.64.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:2234-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | xen | 4.2.5_22-45.36.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:14448-1 |
| SUSE HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 5 | xen | 4.9.4_06-3.62.1 | SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | xen | 4.15.1_01-1.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11520-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 | xen | 4.12.2_04-lp151.2.15.1 | openSUSE-SU-2020:0599-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
Show 12 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | xen | 4.13.0-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | xen | 4.13.0-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | xen | 4.12.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | xen | 4.11.3-r2 | — |
| Alpine v3.8 | xen | 4.10.4-r3 | — |
Advisories 12
- USN-5617-1 xen vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 27, 2026
- DSA-4723-1 xen - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:1124-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:1630-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2020:0599-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:1139-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:14448-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:1634-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:2234-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:14444-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11520-1 xen-4.15.1_01-1.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
- SUSE-SU-2020:1138-1 Security update for xen SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 2, 2025
References
- https://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-318.html
- http://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-318.html
- [oss-security] 20200414 Xen Security Advisory 318 v3 (CVE-2020-11742) - Bad continuation handling in GNTTABOP_copy mailing-list
- FEDORA-2020-440457afe4 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2020-295ed0b1e0 vendor-advisory
- openSUSE-SU-2020:0599 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2020-cbc3149753 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-202005-08 vendor-advisory
- DSA-4723 vendor-advisory