How severe is CVE-2016-3961?

CVE-2016-3961 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-3961 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-3961?

CVE-2016-3961 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3961?

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

When was CVE-2016-3961 published?

CVE-2016-3961 was published on 2016-04-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-3961

CVE-2016-3961 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux
Published: 2016-04-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Xen and the Linux kernel through 4.5.x do not properly suppress hugetlbfs support in x86 PV guests, which allows local PV guest OS users to cause a denial of service (guest OS crash) by attempting to access a hugetlbfs mapped area.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-3961?: Xen and the Linux kernel through 4.5.x do not properly suppress hugetlbfs support in x86 PV guests, which allows local PV guest OS users to cause a denial of service (guest OS crash) by attempting to access a hugetlbfs mapped area.
How severe is CVE-2016-3961?: CVE-2016-3961 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-3961 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-3961?: CVE-2016-3961 primarily affects Canonical Ubuntu Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-3961?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-3961 published?: CVE-2016-3961 was published on 2016-04-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:15.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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