CVE-2017-10806 in QEMU
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in hw/usb/redirect.c in QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) allows local guest OS users to cause a denial of service (QEMU process crash) via vectors related to logging debug messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10806 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the QEMU virtualization platform that specifically affects the USB redirect functionality. This issue resides in the hw/usb/redirect.c source file, where improper handling of debug logging messages creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors within the guest operating system environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with insufficient input validation and memory management practices in complex virtualization software that handles multiple hardware emulation layers.
The technical flaw manifests when guest operating system users attempt to generate debug log messages through USB redirection functionality, causing the QEMU process to write data beyond the bounds of a predetermined stack buffer. This buffer overflow condition occurs during the processing of logging operations that are typically used for debugging purposes but become weaponized when malicious inputs are provided. The vulnerability follows the CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow classification, which specifically addresses buffer overflows that occur when data is written beyond the allocated stack space, potentially leading to memory corruption and application instability. The attack vector requires local access within the guest OS environment, making it a privilege escalation concern that can be exploited by users with guest-level privileges to disrupt the host virtualization environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can potentially be leveraged to crash the QEMU process entirely, causing complete virtual machine shutdown and disruption of services. In enterprise virtualization environments where multiple guest operating systems run on a single host, this vulnerability presents a significant risk as a single compromised guest could potentially affect the stability of the entire virtualization infrastructure. The vulnerability affects QEMU versions prior to 2.10.0, making it particularly concerning for organizations running older virtualization platforms that may not have received timely security updates. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 which covers network denial of service attacks, as the exploitation results in service disruption that impacts system availability and can potentially be used as part of broader attack campaigns targeting virtualized environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-10806 should prioritize immediate patching of QEMU installations to versions 2.10.0 or later where the buffer overflow has been resolved through proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit guest OS privileges and reduce the attack surface available to potential attackers. Additionally, monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect anomalous debug message generation patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization platforms and implementing comprehensive security practices for virtualized environments, particularly in scenarios where guest operating systems may be compromised or untrusted. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections and code analysis tools to identify similar buffer overflow patterns in other components of the virtualization stack that may present analogous security risks.