How severe is CVE-2015-7970?

CVE-2015-7970 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2015-7970 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-7970?

CVE-2015-7970 primarily affects Xen. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-7970?

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

When was CVE-2015-7970 published?

CVE-2015-7970 was published on 2015-10-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-7970

CVE-2015-7970 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-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Xen
Published: 2015-10-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The p2m_pod_emergency_sweep function in arch/x86/mm/p2m-pod.c in Xen 3.4.x, 3.5.x, and 3.6.x is not preemptible, which allows local x86 HVM guest administrators to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and possibly reboot) via crafted memory contents that triggers a "time-consuming linear scan," related to Populate-on-Demand.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-7970?: The p2m_pod_emergency_sweep function in arch/x86/mm/p2m-pod.c in Xen 3.4.x, 3.5.x, and 3.6.x is not preemptible, which allows local x86 HVM guest administrators to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and possibly reboot) via crafted memory contents that triggers a "time-consuming linear scan," related to Populate-on-Demand.
How severe is CVE-2015-7970?: CVE-2015-7970 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2015-7970 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-7970?: CVE-2015-7970 primarily affects Xen. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-7970?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2015-7970 published?: CVE-2015-7970 was published on 2015-10-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:3.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:3.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:3.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:3.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:3.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
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