How severe is CVE-2017-5579?

CVE-2017-5579 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, 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-2017-5579 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-5579?

CVE-2017-5579 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5579?

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

When was CVE-2017-5579 published?

CVE-2017-5579 was published on 2017-03-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-5579

CVE-2017-5579 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Qemu with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-401.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (32nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-401
Affected product: Qemu
Published: 2017-03-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Memory leak in the serial_exit_core function in hw/char/serial.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS privileged users to cause a denial of service (host memory consumption and QEMU process crash) via a large number of device unplug operations.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5579?: Memory leak in the serial_exit_core function in hw/char/serial.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS privileged users to cause a denial of service (host memory consumption and QEMU process crash) via a large number of device unplug operations.
How severe is CVE-2017-5579?: CVE-2017-5579 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, 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-2017-5579 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-5579?: CVE-2017-5579 primarily affects Qemu. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5579?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-5579 published?: CVE-2017-5579 was published on 2017-03-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:qemu:qemu:2.9.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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