CVE-2019-19583: High severity xen xapi vulnerability

Published Dec 11, 2019
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in Xen through 4.12.x allowing x86 HVM/PVH guest OS users to cause a denial of service (guest OS crash) because VMX VMEntry checks mishandle a certain case. Please see XSA-260 for background on the MovSS shadow. Please see XSA-156 for background on the need for #DB interception. The VMX VMEntry checks do not like the exact combination of state which occurs when #DB in intercepted, Single Stepping is active, and blocked by STI/MovSS is active, despite this being a legitimate state to be in. The resulting VMEntry failure is fatal to the guest. HVM/PVH guest userspace code may be able to crash the guest, resulting in a guest Denial of Service. All versions of Xen are affected. Only systems supporting VMX hardware virtual extensions (Intel, Cyrix, or Zhaoxin CPUs) are affected. Arm and AMD systems are unaffected. Only HVM/PVH guests are affected. PV guests cannot leverage the vulnerability.

Affected Software

7 affected componentsFixes available
debian/xen
4.11.4+107-gef32c7afa2-14.14.6-14.14.5+94-ge49571868d-14.17.2+76-ge1f9cb16e2-1~deb12u14.17.2+76-ge1f9cb16e2-1
XEN Xen>=4.8.0<=4.12.1
Fedoraproject Fedora=30
Fedoraproject Fedora=31
openSUSE Leap=15.1
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0

Event History

Dec 11, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:48 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:48 PM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2019-19583?

CVE-2019-19583 has a severity rating that can lead to denial of service due to a guest OS crash.

2

Which versions of Xen are affected by CVE-2019-19583?

CVE-2019-19583 affects Xen versions from 4.8.0 to 4.12.1 and specific versions in the 4.11.x, 4.14.x, and 4.17.x series.

3

How do I fix CVE-2019-19583?

To fix CVE-2019-19583, you should upgrade to a patched version of Xen that is beyond 4.12.1.

4

What issue does CVE-2019-19583 address in Xen?

CVE-2019-19583 addresses mishandled VMX VMEntry checks that can cause a denial of service.

5

What environments are impacted by CVE-2019-19583?

CVE-2019-19583 impacts environments running guest OSes on Xen hypervisors, specifically on certain Linux distributions like Debian and Fedora.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203