How severe is CVE-2017-15124?

CVE-2017-15124 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-15124 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-15124?

CVE-2017-15124 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-15124?

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-2017-15124 published?

CVE-2017-15124 was published on 2018-01-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-15124

CVE-2017-15124 is a high-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 7.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2018-01-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

VNC server implementation in Quick Emulator (QEMU) 2.11.0 and older was found to be vulnerable to an unbounded memory allocation issue, as it did not throttle the framebuffer updates sent to its client. If the client did not consume these updates, VNC server allocates growing memory to hold onto this data. A malicious remote VNC client could use this flaw to cause DoS to the server host.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-15124?: VNC server implementation in Quick Emulator (QEMU) 2.11.0 and older was found to be vulnerable to an unbounded memory allocation issue, as it did not throttle the framebuffer updates sent to its client. If the client did not consume these updates, VNC server allocates growing memory to hold onto this data. A malicious remote VNC client could use this flaw to cause DoS to the server host.
How severe is CVE-2017-15124?: CVE-2017-15124 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-15124 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-15124?: CVE-2017-15124 affects Qemu. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-15124?: 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-2017-15124 published?: CVE-2017-15124 was published on 2018-01-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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