The pit_ioport_read function in the Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) emulation in i8254.c in KVM 83 does not properly use the pit_state dat
The pit_ioport_read function in the Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) emulation in i8254.c in KVM 83 does not properly use the pit_state data structure, which allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (host OS crash or hang) by attempting to read the /dev/port file.
- Published
- Feb 12, 2010
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.8% · 86th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-16
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Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 27 / 40 · 6.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.8%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | kernel | cpe:2.3:a:linux:kernel |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- linux kernelall versions
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:5.0 | kvm | before 72+dfsg-5~lenny5 | 72+dfsg-5~lenny5 |
| Debian:5.0 | linux-2.6 | before 2.6.26-21lenny3 | 2.6.26-21lenny3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::hypervisor | rhev-hypervisor | before 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 | 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::hypervisor | rhev-hypervisor-pxe | before 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 | 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 |
| Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | kmod-kvm | before 0:83-105.el5_4.22 | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 |
| Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | kvm | before 0:83-105.el5_4.22 | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 |
| Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | kvm-debuginfo | before 0:83-105.el5_4.22 | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 |
| Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | kvm-qemu-img | before 0:83-105.el5_4.22 | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 |
| Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | kvm-tools | before 0:83-105.el5_4.22 | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2009-1385Integer underflow in the e1000_clean_rx_irq function in drivers/net/e1000/e1000_main.c in the e1000 driver in the Linux kernel before 2.6.3041Plan
- CVE-2009-1389Buffer overflow in the RTL8169 NIC driver (drivers/net/r8169.c) in the Linux kernel before 2.6.30 allows remote attackers to cause a denial 33Monitor
- CVE-2009-2844cfg80211 in net/wireless/scan.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.30-rc1 and other versions before 2.6.31-rc6 allows remote attackers to cause a denia32Monitor
- CVE-2009-2767The init_posix_timers function in kernel/posix-timers.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.31-rc6 allows local users to cause a denial of servic28Monitor
- CVE-2009-2406Stack-based buffer overflow in the parse_tag_11_packet function in fs/ecryptfs/keystore.c in the eCryptfs subsystem in the Linux kernel befo27Monitor
- CVE-2009-2847The do_sigaltstack function in kernel/signal.c in Linux kernel 2.4 through 2.4.37 and 2.6 before 2.6.31-rc5, when running on 64-bit systems,19Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:kvm | 72+dfsg-5~lenny5 · Debian:5.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux-2.6 | 2.6.26-21lenny3 · Debian:5.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kmod-kvm | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 · Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kvm | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 · Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kvm-debuginfo | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 · Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kvm-qemu-img | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 · Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kvm-tools | 0:83-105.el5_4.22 · Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:rhev-hypervisor | 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::hypervisor | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:rhev-hypervisor-pxe | 0:5.4-2.1.8.el5_4rhev2_1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::hypervisor | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- C · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- C
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-16 · ConfigurationCVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:C
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- secunia.com/advisories/38492
- secunia.com/advisories/38922
- www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-1996
- www.mail-archive.com/kvm%40vger.kernel.org/msg28002.html
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/02/02/1
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/02/02/4
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/38158
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-914-1
- www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/0638
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=560887
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11095
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0088.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0095.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.