How severe is CVE-2016-4439?

CVE-2016-4439 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4439 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4439?

CVE-2016-4439 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4439?

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

When was CVE-2016-4439 published?

CVE-2016-4439 was published on 2016-05-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4439

CVE-2016-4439 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7. 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.7)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (37th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2016-05-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The esp_reg_write function in hw/scsi/esp.c in the 53C9X Fast SCSI Controller (FSC) support in QEMU does not properly check command buffer length, which allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and QEMU process crash) or potentially execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via unspecified vectors.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4439?: The esp_reg_write function in hw/scsi/esp.c in the 53C9X Fast SCSI Controller (FSC) support in QEMU does not properly check command buffer length, which allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and QEMU process crash) or potentially execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via unspecified vectors.
How severe is CVE-2016-4439?: CVE-2016-4439 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4439 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (37th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4439?: CVE-2016-4439 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4439?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-4439 published?: CVE-2016-4439 was published on 2016-05-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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