CVE-2020-15859: Use After Free

Published Jul 21, 2020
·
Updated

A use-after-free issue was found in the INTEL 82574 NIC (e1000e) emulator of the QEMU. It could while sending packets if the guest user set the packet data address to e1000e's MMIO address. A guest user/process could use this flaw to crash the QEMU process on the host resulting in DoS scenario.

Upstream patch: ---------------- -> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2020-07/msg06147.html

Reference: ---------- -> https://bugs.launchpad.net/qemu/+bug/1886362

Other sources

QEMU 4.2.0 has a use-after-free in hw/net/e1000ecore.c because a guest OS user can trigger an e1000e packet with the data's address set to the e1000e's MMIO address.

Launchpad

Affected Software

4 affected componentsFixes available
Qemu Qemu=4.2.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
debian/qemu
1:5.2+dfsg-11+deb11u31:5.2+dfsg-11+deb11u21:7.2+dfsg-7+deb12u121:9.2.2+ds-11:10.0.0~rc2+ds-2

Event History

Jul 21, 2020
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·11:34 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:25 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:25 PM
Description
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:43 PM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:23 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Feb 23, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·01:02 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-15859?

CVE-2020-15859 is a vulnerability in QEMU 4.2.0 that allows a guest OS user to trigger an e1000e packet with the data's address set to the e1000e's MMIO address, resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2020-15859?

The severity of CVE-2020-15859 is medium, with a severity value of 3.3.

3

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2020-15859?

QEMU 4.2.0 is affected by CVE-2020-15859. Additionally, Debian Linux versions 9.0 and 10.0 are also affected.

4

How can I fix CVE-2020-15859?

To fix CVE-2020-15859, update to QEMU version 5.2+dfsg-1 or higher. For Debian Linux, update to the latest available version.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2020-15859?

More information about CVE-2020-15859 can be found in the provided references: [Reference 1](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/qemu-devel/2020-07/msg06147.html), [Reference 2](https://bugs.launchpad.net/qemu/+bug/1886362), [Reference 3](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1859169)

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