How severe is CVE-2016-9923?

CVE-2016-9923 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-2016-9923 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-9923?

CVE-2016-9923 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-9923?

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

When was CVE-2016-9923 published?

CVE-2016-9923 was published on 2016-12-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-9923

CVE-2016-9923 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Qemu 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-416.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (65th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2016-12-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Quick Emulator (Qemu) built with the 'chardev' backend support is vulnerable to a use after free issue. It could occur while hotplug and unplugging the device in the guest. A guest user/process could use this flaw to crash a Qemu process on the host resulting in DoS.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-9923?: Quick Emulator (Qemu) built with the 'chardev' backend support is vulnerable to a use after free issue. It could occur while hotplug and unplugging the device in the guest. A guest user/process could use this flaw to crash a Qemu process on the host resulting in DoS.
How severe is CVE-2016-9923?: CVE-2016-9923 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-2016-9923 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (65th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-9923?: CVE-2016-9923 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-9923?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2016-9923 published?: CVE-2016-9923 was published on 2016-12-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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