CVE-2017-5579
Published Mar 15, 2017 · Updated Oct 23, 2026
Original summary
Normalized public record · Updated Oct 23, 2026
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.
Publisher and source text is retained separately from QFinch interpretation.
QFinch assessment
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.
Evidence: public source recordsAffected products
| Affected package, product or range | Fix status |
|---|---|
| Consult the referenced vendor advisory for affected versions. | Consult source advisory |
Matching a version is only one part of assessing exposure. QFinch has not assessed your environment on this public page.
Remediation
Apply the vendor-supported fixed release or mitigation, then verify the affected component is no longer reachable.
- Confirm the affected product and reachable code path exist in your environment.
- Apply the vendor-supported patch or mitigation from the primary advisory.
- Rescan the exact deployed revision and retain verification evidence.
Evidence coverage
- SSVC priority
- LOW
- Confidence
- Not available
- Aliases
- None reported
Scores appear only when corresponding evidence exists. Missing data is never interpreted as zero risk.
Sources and record history
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180906 [SECURITY] [DLA 1497-1] qemu security update ↗
- [oss-security] 20170124 CVE request Qemu: serial: host memory leakage in 16550A UART emulation ↗
- RHSA-2017:2392 ↗
- GLSA-201702-28 ↗
- 95780 ↗
- git.qemu-project.org ↗
- [oss-security] 20170125 Re: CVE request Qemu: serial: host memory leakage in 16550A UART emulation ↗
- RHSA-2017:2408 ↗
Record history
Published Mar 15, 2017 · Last refreshed Oct 23, 2026