How severe is CVE-2012-4538?

CVE-2012-4538 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2012-4538 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-4538?

CVE-2012-4538 primarily affects Xen. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-4538?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2012-4538 published?

CVE-2012-4538 was published on 2012-11-24 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-4538

CVE-2012-4538 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xen with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (36th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Xen
Published: 2012-11-24
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The HVMOP_pagetable_dying hypercall in Xen 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2 does not properly check the pagetable state when running on shadow pagetables, which allows a local HVM guest OS to cause a denial of service (hypervisor crash) via unspecified vectors.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-4538?: The HVMOP_pagetable_dying hypercall in Xen 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2 does not properly check the pagetable state when running on shadow pagetables, which allows a local HVM guest OS to cause a denial of service (hypervisor crash) via unspecified vectors.
How severe is CVE-2012-4538?: CVE-2012-4538 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2012-4538 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-4538?: CVE-2012-4538 primarily affects Xen. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-4538?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2012-4538 published?: CVE-2012-4538 was published on 2012-11-24 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:4.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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