# CVE-2015-3209: Memory corruption in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code on the host via a heap-based buffer overflow in the QEMU PCNET controller.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Jun 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-3209, GHSA-f8hq-r3jp-2m27, RHSA-2015:1087, RHSA-2015:1088, RHSA-2015:1089, RHSA-2015:1189, UBUNTU-CVE-2015-3209

## What is CVE-2015-3209?

CVE-2015-3209 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 15 Jun 2015. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the PCNET controller in QEMU allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending a packet with TXSTATUS_STARTPACKET set and then a crafted packet with TXSTATUS_DEVICEOWNS set.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-3209?

It affects 18 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `qemu-guest-agent` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-guest-agent` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img-rhev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::hypervisor | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::hypervisor | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::hypervisor | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::hypervisor | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-guest-agent` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-guest-agent` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-tools` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-img-rhev` | Red Hat:openstack:5::el6 | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev` | Red Hat:openstack:5::el6 | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:openstack:5::el6 | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `qemu-kvm-rhev-tools` | Red Hat:openstack:5::el6 | All versions | 2:0.12.1.2-2.448.el6_6.4 |
| `kmod-kvm` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kmod-kvm-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-qemu-img` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-tools` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::client | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kmod-kvm` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kmod-kvm-debug` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-qemu-img` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |
| `kvm-tools` | Red Hat:rhel_virtualization:5::server | All versions | 0:83-273.el5_11 |

Products: Arista Eos, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Juniper Junos Space, Qemu Qemu, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation, Redhat Openstack, Redhat Virtualization, Suse Linux Enterprise Debuginfo, Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-3209?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2015-3209 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-3209 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2026-7473](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-7473/): Arista Extensible Operating System Incomplete Comparison with Missing Factors (medium 6.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-8236](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-8236/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2020-10188](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10188/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-18017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18017/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-14491](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14491/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-3209 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-3209 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 15 Jun 2015. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-3209 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3209/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3209/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-3209
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-3209
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-3209

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3209/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.