How severe is CVE-2015-8556?

CVE-2015-8556 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2015-8556 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 13% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2015-8556?

CVE-2015-8556 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2015-8556?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2015-8556 published?

CVE-2015-8556 was published on 2017-03-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2015-8556

CVE-2015-8556 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 13% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-362.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 10.0)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 13% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-362
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2017-03-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Gentoo QEMU package before 2.5.0-r1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2015-8556?: Local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Gentoo QEMU package before 2.5.0-r1.
How severe is CVE-2015-8556?: CVE-2015-8556 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2015-8556 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 13% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2015-8556?: CVE-2015-8556 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8556?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2015-8556 published?: CVE-2015-8556 was published on 2017-03-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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