How severe is CVE-2016-7909?

CVE-2016-7909 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, 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-2016-7909 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7909?

CVE-2016-7909 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7909?

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

When was CVE-2016-7909 published?

CVE-2016-7909 was published on 2016-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7909

CVE-2016-7909 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. 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-835.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2016-10-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The pcnet_rdra_addr function in hw/net/pcnet.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) by setting the (1) receive or (2) transmit descriptor ring length to 0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7909?: The pcnet_rdra_addr function in hw/net/pcnet.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (infinite loop and QEMU process crash) by setting the (1) receive or (2) transmit descriptor ring length to 0.
How severe is CVE-2016-7909?: CVE-2016-7909 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, 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-2016-7909 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7909?: CVE-2016-7909 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7909?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-7909 published?: CVE-2016-7909 was published on 2016-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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