How severe is CVE-2015-8551?

CVE-2015-8551 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-8551 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-2015-8551?

CVE-2015-8551 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8551?

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

When was CVE-2015-8551 published?

CVE-2015-8551 was published on 2016-04-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-8551

CVE-2015-8551 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.0. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.0)
CVSS v2: 4.7
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (36th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2016-04-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The PCI backend driver in Xen, when running on an x86 system and using Linux 3.1.x through 4.3.x as the driver domain, allows local guest administrators to hit BUG conditions and cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and host OS crash) by leveraging a system with access to a passed-through MSI or MSI-X capable physical PCI device and a crafted sequence of XEN_PCI_OP_* operations, aka "Linux pciback missing sanity checks."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8551?: The PCI backend driver in Xen, when running on an x86 system and using Linux 3.1.x through 4.3.x as the driver domain, allows local guest administrators to hit BUG conditions and cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and host OS crash) by leveraging a system with access to a passed-through MSI or MSI-X capable physical PCI device and a crafted sequence of XEN_PCI_OP_* operations, aka "Linux pciback missing sanity checks."
How severe is CVE-2015-8551?: CVE-2015-8551 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-8551 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-2015-8551?: CVE-2015-8551 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8551?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2015-8551 published?: CVE-2015-8551 was published on 2016-04-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (14)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_real_time_extension:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_real_time_extension:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_workstation_extension:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*

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