HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2018-03-01

CVE-2018-7550

qemu qemu Security Advisory (CVE-2018-7550)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2018-7550 impacting qemu qemu. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
The load_multiboot 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 mh_load_end_addr value greater than mh_bss_end_addr, which triggers an out-of-bounds read or write memory access.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product qemu / qemu
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-125

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2018-7550 impacting qemu qemu.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2018-7550.yaml
id: cve-2018-7550

info:
  name: qemu qemu - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2018-7550 affecting qemu qemu.
    Evaluation: The load_multiboot function in hw/i386/multiboot.c in Quick Emulator (aka QEMU) allows local guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the QEMU host...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2018-7550
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2018-7550
    cwe-id: CWE-125
  tags: cve,cve-2018-7550,qemu,qemu,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "qemu"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2018-7550.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2018-7550
# Target: qemu qemu | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2018-7550 (qemu qemu)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against qemu qemu scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2018-7550.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2018-7550
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install qemu 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade qemu 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update qemu

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i qemu 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i qemu

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2018-7550 in qemu qemu?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update qemu qemu packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2018-7550?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2018-7550?

CVE-2018-7550 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2018-7550
Weakness CWE-125
Vendor qemu
Product qemu
Published 2018-03-01
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H