CVE-2016-10214 in virglrenderer
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in the virgl_resource_attach_backing function in virglrenderer before 0.6.0 allows local guest OS users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a large number of VIRTIO_GPU_CMD_RESOURCE_ATTACH_BACKING commands.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10214 represents a critical memory management flaw within the virglrenderer library, specifically affecting versions prior to 0.6.0. This issue resides in the virgl_resource_attach_backing function which handles resource backing operations for virtualized graphics environments. The vulnerability manifests when local guest operating system users exploit the VIRTIO_GPU_CMD_RESOURCE_ATTACH_BACKING command in excessive quantities, leading to uncontrolled memory consumption that ultimately results in system denial of service conditions. The flaw operates at the intersection of virtualization and graphics rendering, where the hypervisor's graphics subsystem fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation cycles during resource attachment operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management within the virglrenderer component, which is responsible for translating 3D graphics commands from virtualized environments to hardware-accelerated graphics processing. When the virgl_resource_attach_backing function processes multiple VIRTIO_GPU_CMD_RESOURCE_ATTACH_BACKING commands, it fails to properly release previously allocated memory resources, creating a memory leak condition. This flaw is classified under CWE-401 as a failure to release memory resources, and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion attacks that can be exploited by local users within virtualized environments. The vulnerability specifically affects the memory management cycle where backing resources are attached to graphics objects, with each command potentially consuming memory without proper cleanup mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10214 extends beyond simple resource consumption, as it enables local users within guest operating systems to systematically consume available memory resources on the host system. This creates a denial of service condition where legitimate system operations become impaired or completely halted due to memory starvation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in virtualized environments where multiple guest operating systems share the same physical host resources, as a single compromised guest can potentially affect the entire virtualization infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform persistent resource exhaustion attacks, making it a significant concern for cloud service providers and virtualization administrators who must maintain system availability and performance for multiple tenants.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the virglrenderer library to version 0.6.0 or later, which includes proper memory management fixes for the affected function. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly in virtualized environments where such attacks are more likely to occur. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service and T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage legitimate system commands to execute the memory exhaustion attack. Additionally, implementing resource limits and quotas for virtual machines, along with regular security assessments of virtualization components, helps reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar memory management vulnerabilities in the broader virtualization ecosystem.