How severe is CVE-2016-2538?

CVE-2016-2538 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-2538 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-2538?

CVE-2016-2538 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-2538?

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

When was CVE-2016-2538 published?

CVE-2016-2538 was published on 2016-06-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-2538

CVE-2016-2538 is a high-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. 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-189.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 3.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (33rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-189
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2016-06-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Multiple integer overflows in the USB Net device emulator (hw/usb/dev-network.c) in QEMU before 2.5.1 allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (QEMU process crash) or obtain sensitive host memory information via a remote NDIS control message packet that is mishandled in the (1) rndis_query_response, (2) rndis_set_response, or (3) usb_net_handle_dataout function.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-2538?: Multiple integer overflows in the USB Net device emulator (hw/usb/dev-network.c) in QEMU before 2.5.1 allow local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (QEMU process crash) or obtain sensitive host memory information via a remote NDIS control message packet that is mishandled in the (1) rndis_query_response, (2) rndis_set_response, or (3) usb_net_handle_dataout function.
How severe is CVE-2016-2538?: CVE-2016-2538 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-2538 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (33rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-2538?: CVE-2016-2538 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-2538?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-2538 published?: CVE-2016-2538 was published on 2016-06-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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