CVE-2018-7550: High severity Qemu Qemu vulnerability
Last updated 25 August 2025
Other sources
Quick Emulator(QEMU) built with the PC System Emulator with multiboot feature support is vulnerable to an OOB memory access issue. It could occur while loading a kernel image during a guest boot if multiboot head addresses mhloadendaddr was greater than mhbssendaddr.
A user/process could use this flaw to potentially achieve arbitrary code execution on a host.
Upstream patch: --------------- -> https://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2018-03/msg01885.html
Reference: ---------- -> http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/03/08/4
— Red Hat
The loadmultiboot function in hw/i386/multiboot.c in Quick Emulator (aka QEMU) allows local guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host via a mhloadendaddr value greater than mhbssendaddr, which triggers an out-of-bounds read or write memory access.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/qemuto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 1:5.2+dfsg-11+deb11u3Fixed in 1:5.2+dfsg-11+deb11u5Fixed in 1:7.2+dfsg-7+deb12u18Fixed in 1:7.2+dfsg-7+deb12u15Fixed in 1:10.0.11+ds-0+deb13u1Fixed in 1:10.0.2+ds-2+deb13u1Fixed in 1:11.0.2+ds-2
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2018-7550?
CVE-2018-7550 is rated as a high severity vulnerability due to the potential for out-of-bounds memory access.
How do I fix CVE-2018-7550?
To fix CVE-2018-7550, update QEMU to a version that is not vulnerable, as specified in the security advisories provided by your distribution.
What type of vulnerabilities does CVE-2018-7550 represent?
CVE-2018-7550 represents a memory access vulnerability that can lead to crashes or potential code execution.
Which software versions are affected by CVE-2018-7550?
CVE-2018-7550 affects specific versions of QEMU, Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu Linux, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux as detailed in the advisory.
Can CVE-2018-7550 be exploited remotely?
Yes, CVE-2018-7550 could potentially be exploited remotely if an attacker can influence the loading of a kernel image during guest boot.