CVE-2015-8341
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 · uneditedThe libxl toolstack library in Xen 4.1.x through 4.6.x does not properly release mappings of files used as kernels and initial ramdisks when managing multiple domains in the same process, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory and disk consumption) by starting domains.
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 confidenceThe libxl toolstack library in Xen 4.1.x through 4.6.x contains a resource leak where file mappings for kernels and initial ramdisks are not properly released when managing multiple domains within the same process. This causes cumulative memory and disk consumption with each domain start, leading to denial of service.
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= 4.1.0= 4.1.1= 4.1.2= 4.1.3= 4.1.4= 4.1.5= 4.1.6= 4.1.6.1= 4.2.0= 4.2.1= 4.2.2= 4.2.3CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/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.
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Determine Xen versionRun 'xl version' or 'xm version' to identify the installed Xen hypervisor version. Also check /etc/xen/* or /usr/lib/xen/* for version indicators.Affected if The installed version falls within 4.1.0 through 4.6.x, specifically 4.1.0-4.2.3 as explicitly listed in affected versions.
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Identify the toolstack in useCheck which toolstack is active: libxl (xl command), xend (xm command), or other. Run 'which xl' and 'which xm' to see available tools.Affected if The system uses the libxl toolstack (xl command) as this CVE affects the libxl library specifically.
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Confirm multiple domain managementReview domain creation patterns. Check current and historical domains with 'xl list' or review logs in /var/log/xen/ for repeated domain creation/destruction cycles.Affected if Multiple domains are created and destroyed within the same xl toolstack process, which triggers the unreleased file mapping accumulation.
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Monitor for resource leaksObserve memory consumption and open file descriptors of the xl toolstack process during domain lifecycle operations. Compare memory before and after creating multiple domains.Affected if Memory or file descriptors grow cumulatively with each domain start without proportional release, indicating the leak is active in this environment.
You are affected if your Xen version is 4.1.0 through 4.6.x, you use the libxl toolstack, and you manage multiple domains where resource consumption grows with each domain creation.
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 dataApply the relevant Xen security patches or upgrade to a patched version of Xen. Coordinate maintenance windows as hypervisor updates may require domain restarts.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8341 — 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-2015-8341 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
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- 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
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