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CVE-2016-10025 Xen CVE debrief

CVE-2016-10025 is a Xen hypervisor denial-of-service issue affecting x86 systems using AMD virtualization extensions (SVM). NVD describes it as a missing NULL pointer check in VMFUNC emulation, which can let a local user inside an HVM guest crash the hypervisor. The impact is availability-only: no confidentiality or integrity impact is indicated by the CVSS vector. NVD published the record on 2017-01-26 and later modified it on 2026-05-13; vendor and third-party references point to Xen and Citrix advisories for remediation.

Vendor
Xen
Product
CVE-2016-10025
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-01-26
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-01-26
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Operators of Xen hosts, Citrix XenServer environments, and virtualization teams running affected Xen 4.6.x through 4.8.x releases on x86 systems with AMD SVM support. Security teams should also care if they manage guest isolation, hypervisor uptime, or denial-of-service exposure in multi-tenant environments.

Technical summary

The NVD description states that VMFUNC emulation in Xen 4.6.x through 4.8.x on x86 systems using AMD virtualization extensions (SVM) contains a missing NULL pointer check. Under the listed CVSS v3.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), a local attacker with privileges inside an HVM guest can cause a hypervisor crash. NVD lists affected Xen versions 4.6.0, 4.6.1, 4.6.3, 4.6.4, 4.7.0, 4.7.1, and 4.8.0, plus Citrix XenServer 6.0.2, 6.2.0, 6.5, and 7.0.

Defensive priority

Medium. The flaw is limited to availability, but it targets the hypervisor layer, so a successful crash can affect multiple workloads and host uptime. Prioritize if you run affected Xen or XenServer builds on AMD SVM-capable hardware.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Review whether any Xen or Citrix XenServer hosts match the affected versions listed by NVD.
  • Apply the vendor-referenced Xen and Citrix patches or updates tied to XSA-203 and CTX219378.
  • Validate host and guest placement so that critical workloads are not concentrated on unpatched affected hosts.
  • Monitor for unexpected hypervisor crashes or restarts on affected platforms until remediation is complete.
  • Track any downstream vendor advisories that package the Xen fix into your specific platform release.

Evidence notes

All substantive claims here come from the supplied NVD record and its listed references. The vulnerability description, affected-version examples, CVSS vector, weakness classification, and reference URLs are taken from the source corpus. The vendor/product mapping is based on NVD CPE data, which is marked with medium confidence in the supplied metadata.

Official resources

CVE published by NVD on 2017-01-26 and later modified on 2026-05-13. The supplied record does not indicate KEV listing.