Xen and the Linux kernel through 4.5.x do not properly suppress hugetlbfs support in x86…
Priority LOW 25CWE-20Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
Xen and the Linux kernel through 4.5.x do not properly suppress hugetlbfs support in x86 PV guests, which allows local PV guest OS users to cause a denial of service (guest OS crash) by attempting to access a hugetlbfs mapped area.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.0051 43rd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.10 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | up to 4.5.3 | Vulnerable | Xen |
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.10 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions up to 4.5.3 Vulnerable ·Xen
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2016-3961
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-46vh-jm43-r5pj
References
Sources
- CVE-2016-3961 · CVE Program
- CVE-2016-3961 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-46vh-jm43-r5pj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2016-3961 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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