CVE-2016-3044
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 Linux kernel component in IBM PowerKVM 2.1 before 2.1.1.3-65.10 and 3.1 before 3.1.0.2 allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (host OS infinite loop and hang) via unspecified vectors.
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 · moderate confidenceA vulnerability in the Linux kernel component of IBM PowerKVM hypervisor allows a guest virtual machine user to trigger an infinite loop in the host OS, causing a complete host hang and denial of service. The specific triggering conditions are not detailed in the advisory, but the issue affects PowerKVM versions 2.1 before 2.1.1.3-65.10 and 3.1 before 3.1.0.0.2.
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= 2.1= 2.1.0.2= 2.1.1.0= 2.1.1.2= 2.1.1.3= 3.1= 3.1.0.1CVSS 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
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
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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Identify the PowerKVM version installed on the hypervisor hostRun the command 'cat /etc/os-release' or 'hostnamectl' on the PowerKVM host to identify the installed PowerKVM version and build numberAffected if The reported version is 2.1.x before 2.1.1.3-65.10, or 3.1.x before 3.1.0.0.2, or matches any of these exact versions: 2.1, 2.1.0.2, 2.1.1.0, 2.1.1.2, 2.1.1.3, 3.1, or 3.1.0.1
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Verify the kernel version running on the PowerKVM hostRun 'uname -r' to check the kernel version. Compare it against the kernel versions shipped with the affected PowerKVM releasesAffected if The kernel version corresponds to one of the affected PowerKVM versions listed above
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Check if untrusted guest VM users have access to the hypervisorReview the VM user permissions and access controls through libvirt (virsh pool-list, virsh vol-list) or the virtualization management interface to determine if untrusted users can create or manage VMsAffected if Untrusted or guest users have the ability to create or manage virtual machines on the affected PowerKVM host
Your environment is affected if the PowerKVM version is 2.1.x before 2.1.1.3-65.10 or 3.1.x before 3.1.0.0.2, and untrusted users can access or manage guest virtual machines on the hypervisor.
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 vendor-supplied patches to update PowerKVM to version 2.1.1.3-65.10 or later for the 2.1 branch, or 3.1.0.0.2 or later for the 3.1 branch. Until patched, consider restricting untrusted users from creating or managing VMs.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-3044 — 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-2016-3044 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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