#VU40248 Improper access control in Xen - CVE-2016-4963

Vulnerability identifier: #VU40248

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.9 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2016-4963

CWE-ID: CWE-284

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Xen
Server applications / Virtualization software

Vendor: Xen Project

Description

The vulnerability allows a local authenticated user to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack.

The libxl device-handling in Xen through 4.6.x allows local guest OS users with access to the driver domain to cause a denial of service (management tool confusion) by manipulating information in the backend directories in xenstore.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Xen: 4.0.0 - 4.6.1

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External links
https://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036024
https://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/advisory-178.html
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00006.html

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.