How severe is CVE-2018-5244?

CVE-2018-5244 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-2018-5244 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-5244?

CVE-2018-5244 affects Xen. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-5244?

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

When was CVE-2018-5244 published?

CVE-2018-5244 was published on 2018-01-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-5244

CVE-2018-5244 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xen 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (29th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Xen
Published: 2018-01-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Xen 4.10, new infrastructure was introduced as part of an overhaul to how MSR emulation happens for guests. Unfortunately, one tracking structure isn't freed when a vcpu is destroyed. This allows guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (host OS memory consumption) by rebooting many times.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-5244?: In Xen 4.10, new infrastructure was introduced as part of an overhaul to how MSR emulation happens for guests. Unfortunately, one tracking structure isn't freed when a vcpu is destroyed. This allows guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (host OS memory consumption) by rebooting many times.
How severe is CVE-2018-5244?: CVE-2018-5244 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-2018-5244 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (29th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-5244?: CVE-2018-5244 affects Xen. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-5244?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-5244 published?: CVE-2018-5244 was published on 2018-01-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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