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CVE-2017-15118: Qemu: Buffer overflow

CVE-2017-15118 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.0 base score of 9.8 and affects Qemu, along with 2 other products in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability was found in NBD server implementation in qemu before 2.11 allowing a client to request an export name of size up to 4096 bytes, which in fact should be limited to 256 bytes, causing an out-of-bounds stack write in the qemu process. If NBD server requires TLS, the attacker cannot trigger the buffer overflow without first successfully negotiating TLS.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.0 9.8: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow

The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write

The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Affected products

Qemu: before 2.11
Canonical Ubuntu Linux: 14.04; 16.04; 17.10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux: 7.0