CVE-2014-2894
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOff-by-one error in the cmd_smart function in the smart self test in hw/ide/core.c in QEMU before 2.0 allows local users to have unspecified impact via a SMART EXECUTE OFFLINE command that triggers a buffer underflow and memory corruption.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceAn off-by-one error exists in the cmd_smart function in hw/ide/core.c in QEMU before version 2.0. Local users can trigger a buffer underflow and memory corruption by sending a specially crafted SMART EXECUTE OFFLINE command through the IDE core's SMART self-test functionality.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 1.7.1= 0.1.0= 0.1.1= 0.1.2= 0.1.3= 0.1.4= 0.1.5= 0.1.6= 0.2.0= 0.3.0= 0.4.0= 0.4.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify QEMU versionRun 'qemu-system-x86_64 --version' or 'qemu --version' to obtain the installed QEMU version numberAffected if Version is 1.7.1 or lower, or matches 0.1.0 through 0.4.1, or 0.1.5, 0.1.6, 0.2.0, 0.3.0, 0.4.0, 0.4.1 specifically
-
Check for IDE device emulationReview QEMU command-line arguments or VM configuration for IDE disk devices (typically -drive if=ide or ide-hd)Affected if IDE disk emulation is active - the vulnerability exists in hw/ide/core.c which handles IDE devices
-
Verify SMART support is enabledInspect whether the virtual IDE disk has SMART support exposed; this is typically enabled by default in QEMU's ide-hd implementationAffected if SMART functionality is available on the emulated IDE device - the flaw is triggered via SMART EXECUTE OFFLINE commands
-
Confirm local user access to QEMU monitorCheck if untrusted local users can access the QEMU monitor or QMP interface to send SMART commands to the emulated IDE deviceAffected if Local users can issue commands to the QEMU instance via monitor/QMP - this is the attack vector for sending the crafted SMART command
A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable QEMU version (1.7.1 or lower, or specific versions from 0.1.0-0.4.1) with IDE disk emulation enabled and SMART functionality accessible to local users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade QEMU to version 2.0 or later to patch the vulnerable cmd_smart function in the IDE core. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict local user access to the QEMU guest environment.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,648.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-2894 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-2894 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data