CVE-2015-8701: QEMU (aka Quick Emulator) built with the Rocker switch emulation support is vulnerable to an off-by-one error.

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2015-8701 affects QEMU builds that include Rocker switch emulation. A privileged user inside a guest VM could trigger a host-side memory leak or crash that VM’s QEMU process, causing denial of service. The sources do not show active exploitation or a CVSS score. Exposure appears limited to virtualization environments using QEMU with Rocker switch emulation enabled or built in. The bundle does not identify affected versions, distributions, or default configurations, so teams must verify their QEMU packages and VM device configurations. Treat as a targeted virtualization hardening issue, not an internet-wide emergency. Prioritize environments where untrusted tenants or delegated guest administrators can access QEMU guests using Rocker emulation, because a guest-level actor could affect host-side VM availability. Mitigation focus: Check vendor QEMU advisories for fixed packages covering the Rocker bounds-check issue.; Update QEMU through supported distribution or vendor channels where fixes are available.; Disable or avoid Rocker switch emulation where it is not operationally required..

Prepared

Jun 13, 2026, 12:51 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.