The vmxnet_tx_pkt_parse_headers function in hw/net/vmxnet_tx_pkt.c in QEMU (aka Quick…
Priority LOW 27Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The vmxnet_tx_pkt_parse_headers function in hw/net/vmxnet_tx_pkt.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (buffer over-read) by leveraging failure to check IP header length.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00392 33rd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 1 fixed, 1 without a fix
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:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 2.6.0 | Vulnerable | QEMU |
| cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 7.0 | Running on | Red Hat |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.6.0 Vulnerable ·QEMU
- cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Running on ·Red Hat
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2017:2392 Released 2017-08-01 · Red Hat rating Importantqemu-kvm-rhev security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Virtualization 4 Management Agent for RHEL 7 Hosts qemu-img-rhev-10:2.9.0-14.el7, qemu-kvm-common-rhev-10:2.9.0-14.el7, qemu-kvm-rhev-10:2.9.0-14.el7 +1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 Management Agent for RHEL 7 Hosts | Fixed | RHSA-2017:2392 |
Not affected: 8 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5 (Icehouse)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 6 (Juno)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 7 (Kilo)
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 10 (Newton)
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 8 (Liberty)
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 9 (Mitaka)
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2016-6835
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qv57-784w-q593
References
Advisory 4
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180906 [SECURITY] [DLA 1497-1] qemu security update
- [oss-security] 20160812 CVE request Qemu: buffer overflow in vmxnet_tx_pkt_parse_headers() in vmxnet3 device emulation
- [oss-security] 20160817 Re: CVE request Qemu: buffer overflow in vmxnet_tx_pkt_parse_headers() in vmxnet3 device emulation
- RHSA-2017:2392
Sources
- CVE-2016-6835 · CVE Program
- CVE-2016-6835 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qv57-784w-q593 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2016-6835 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences