USN-3651-1: QEMU update

Published May 21, 2018
·
Updated

Ken Johnson and Jann Horn independently discovered that microprocessors utilizing speculative execution of a memory read may allow unauthorized memory reads via sidechannel attacks. An attacker in the guest could use this to expose sensitive guest information, including kernel memory. This update allows QEMU to expose new CPU features added by microcode updates to guests on amd64 and i386.

Affected Software

25 affected componentsFixes available
Canonical QEMU
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu<1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
Ubuntu Ubuntu=18.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system<1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
Ubuntu Ubuntu=18.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system-x86<1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
Ubuntu Ubuntu=18.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu<1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
Ubuntu Ubuntu=17.10
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system<1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
Ubuntu Ubuntu=17.10
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system-x86<1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
Ubuntu Ubuntu=17.10
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu<1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
Ubuntu Ubuntu=16.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system<1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
Ubuntu Ubuntu=16.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system-x86<1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
Ubuntu Ubuntu=16.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu<2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system<2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/qemu-system-x86<2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system-x86 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu7.2
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system-x86 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.10+dfsg-0ubuntu3.7
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
  8. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
  9. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system-x86 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.5+dfsg-5ubuntu10.29
  10. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
  11. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
  12. Upgrade

    Upgrade ubuntu/qemu-system-x86 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.0.0+dfsg-2ubuntu1.42
  13. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch USN-3651-1

Event History

May 21, 2018
Advisory Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Child vulnerabilities

Contains the following vulnerabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID for this update?

The vulnerability ID for this update is CVE-2018-3639.

2

What is the title of this update?

The title of this update is USN-3651-1: QEMU update.

3

Who discovered this vulnerability?

Ken Johnson and Jann Horn independently discovered this vulnerability.

4

What is the severity of this vulnerability?

The severity of this vulnerability is not mentioned in the information provided.

5

How can an attacker exploit this vulnerability?

An attacker in the guest could use this vulnerability to expose sensitive guest information, including kernel memory.

Company

Resources

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