CVE-2015-8345 in QEMU
Summary
by MITRE
The eepro100 emulator in QEMU qemu-kvm blank allows local guest users to cause a denial of service (application crash and infinite loop) via vectors involving the command block list.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2019
The CVE-2015-8345 vulnerability resides within the eepro100 network adapter emulator implementation in QEMU KVM virtualization environments, representing a significant security flaw that affects virtual machine operations. This vulnerability specifically targets the eepro100 device emulation layer which is used to provide network connectivity to guest operating systems within virtualized environments. The issue manifests when local guest users execute malicious commands that exploit weaknesses in the command block list handling mechanisms of this particular network adapter emulator.
The technical flaw involves improper validation and handling of command block lists within the eepro100 emulator implementation. When guest users manipulate the command block list structures, the emulator fails to properly validate input parameters or handle malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable behavior. This vulnerability operates at the hypervisor level where guest operating systems can potentially exploit memory access patterns and command processing logic to trigger either application crashes or infinite loop conditions. The flaw stems from insufficient bounds checking and error handling within the emulator's command processing routines, allowing malicious input to disrupt normal operation flow.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8345 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise entire virtualized environments. Local guest users who can execute code within their virtual machines gain the ability to crash the host application or cause indefinite loops that consume system resources and prevent normal operation of other virtual machines sharing the same host. This vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in multi-tenant cloud environments where one compromised guest could affect the stability of other virtual machines running on the same physical host. The vulnerability affects both the QEMU emulator and the KVM kernel module, making it relevant across various virtualization implementations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8345 should focus on immediate patching of QEMU and KVM components to address the command block list validation issues. System administrators should ensure that all virtualization environments are updated with the latest security patches from their respective vendors. Additionally, implementing strict access controls and limiting guest user privileges can reduce the risk of exploitation. Network segmentation and monitoring of virtual machine activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider disabling unnecessary network adapter emulators when not required and implement proper input validation mechanisms at the hypervisor level to prevent malformed command sequences from reaching vulnerable components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129 and CWE-691 categories related to input validation and insufficient control of a resource through multiple inputs, and represents a technique commonly used in attack frameworks targeting hypervisor security boundaries through guest-to-host privilege escalation vectors.