CVE-2016-5107 in QEMU
Summary
by MITRE
The megasas_lookup_frame function in QEMU, when built with MegaRAID SAS 8708EM2 Host Bus Adapter emulation support, allows local guest OS administrators to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5107 resides within the QEMU virtualization platform's handling of MegaRAID SAS 8708EM2 Host Bus Adapter emulation functionality. This issue specifically affects systems where QEMU has been compiled with support for MegaRAID SAS hardware emulation, creating a potential attack surface for local guest operating system administrators who possess administrative privileges within the virtualized environment. The megasas_lookup_frame function serves as a critical component in processing storage I/O requests between the guest operating system and the emulated storage controller, making it a prime target for exploitation that could compromise system stability.
The technical flaw manifests through an out-of-bounds read condition within the megasas_lookup_frame function, which occurs when processing certain storage frame requests from the guest operating system. This vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and buffer boundary checking within the emulated storage controller's frame lookup mechanism. When malicious or malformed frame data is processed by this function, it attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, leading to unpredictable behavior including system crashes and potential information disclosure. The vulnerability is classified as a memory safety issue that aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks within virtualized environments. Local guest administrators can leverage this weakness to cause system instability, potentially leading to complete system crashes that affect the availability of virtual machines and the underlying host system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-tenant cloud environments where guest administrators might attempt to exploit this weakness to disrupt other virtual machines sharing the same physical host. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which involves network denial of service attacks, though in this case the attack vector operates within the virtualized environment rather than across network boundaries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5107 should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves updating QEMU to versions that contain patches addressing the out-of-bounds read condition in the megasas_lookup_frame function, which typically includes implementing proper bounds checking and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also consider disabling MegaRAID SAS emulation support in QEMU configurations where this functionality is not required for legitimate use cases. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation within virtualized environments can limit the potential impact of local guest administrators who might attempt to exploit such vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual patterns of storage I/O activity that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments of virtualization platforms should include thorough testing of emulated hardware components to identify similar memory safety vulnerabilities.