Denial of Service Vulnerability in Xen Package: CVE-2019-19583
Summary
ALPINE-CVE-2019-19583: 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. Affects xen versions < 4.12.2-r0. Fixed in 4.12.2-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
Xen is an open-source hypervisor that allows multiple operating systems to run concurrently on a single physical machine. It provides virtualization capabilities for various architectures, including x86, and is widely used in cloud computing and server environments. The vulnerability in question affects Xen versions prior to 4.12.2-r0 for Alpine v3.10 and prior to 4.13.0-r0 for Alpine v3.11 and later versions. This vulnerability can lead to a denial of service (DoS) for guest operating systems running on affected Xen hypervisors.
Vulnerability Detail
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) due to mishandling of VMX VMEntry checks. Specifically, the checks fail under certain conditions involving #DB interception and Single Stepping, leading to fatal VMEntry failures for the guest. This vulnerability affects all versions of Xen that support VMX hardware virtual extensions, impacting only HVM/PVH guests, while PV guests remain unaffected.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
4.12.2-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade xenTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
Currently, there are no specific workarounds mentioned for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the patch as soon as possible to mitigate the risk.
Conclusion
CVE-2019-19583 represents a significant vulnerability in the Xen hypervisor that can lead to denial of service for guest operating systems. It is crucial for users to update their Xen installations to the patched versions to ensure the security and stability of their virtual environments.
See every vulnerability recorded for xen →
FAQ
CVE-2019-19583 is a vulnerability in the Xen hypervisor that allows guest operating systems to crash, resulting in a denial of service.
All versions of Xen prior to 4.12.2-r0 for Alpine v3.10 and prior to 4.13.0-r0 for Alpine v3.11 and later are affected.
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The vulnerability can lead to a denial of service, causing the guest operating system to crash, which may disrupt services running on the affected virtual machine.
Yes, patches are available for affected versions of Xen. Users should update to the specified patched versions to mitigate the vulnerability.
References
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