How severe is CVE-2022-42309?

CVE-2022-42309 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2022-42309 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (19th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-42309?

CVE-2022-42309 primarily affects Xen. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-42309?

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-2022-42309 published?

CVE-2022-42309 was published on 2022-11-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2022-42309

CVE-2022-42309 is a high-severity vulnerability in Xen with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-763.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (19th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-763
Affected product: Xen
Published: 2022-11-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Xenstore: Guests can crash xenstored Due to a bug in the fix of XSA-115 a malicious guest can cause xenstored to use a wrong pointer during node creation in an error path, resulting in a crash of xenstored or a memory corruption in xenstored causing further damage. Entering the error path can be controlled by the guest e.g. by exceeding the quota value of maximum nodes per domain.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-42309?: Xenstore: Guests can crash xenstored Due to a bug in the fix of XSA-115 a malicious guest can cause xenstored to use a wrong pointer during node creation in an error path, resulting in a crash of xenstored or a memory corruption in xenstored causing further damage. Entering the error path can be controlled by the guest e.g. by exceeding the quota value of maximum nodes per domain.
How severe is CVE-2022-42309?: CVE-2022-42309 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-42309 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (19th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-42309?: CVE-2022-42309 primarily affects Xen. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-42309?: 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-2022-42309 published?: CVE-2022-42309 was published on 2022-11-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:xen:xen:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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