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CVE-2020-29567

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of...

6.2 MediumFix available

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.37%Down 0.4 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 6.2

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2020-29567
CVSS 3.1
6.2 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.9 MediumAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
Weakness
CWE-770
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2020-29567
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-21929 No score

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
EUVD-2020-21929
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-x993-24wq-x7c4 No score

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of...

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
GHSA-x993-24wq-x7c4
Weakness
CWE-770
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2020-29567 6.2

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2020-29567
CVSS 3.1
6.2 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 6.2

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2020-29567
CVSS 3.1
6.2 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2020-29567 6.2

An issue was discovered in Xen 4.14.x. When moving IRQs between CPUs to distribute the load of IRQ handling, IRQ vectors are dynamically allocated and de-allocated on the relevant CPUs. De-allocation has to happen when certain constraints are met. If these conditions are not met when first checked, the checking CPU may send an interrupt to itself, in the expectation that this IRQ will be delivered only after the condition preventing the cleanup has cleared. For two specific IRQ vectors, this expectation was violated, resulting in a continuous stream of self-interrupts, which renders the CPU effectively unusable. A domain with a passed through PCI device can cause lockup of a physical CPU, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) to the entire host. Only x86 systems are vulnerable. Arm systems are not vulnerable. Only guests with physical PCI devices passed through to them can exploit the vulnerability.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2020-29567
CVSS 3.1
6.2 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11520-1 No score

xen-4.15.1_01-1.2 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the xen-4.15.1_01-1.2 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11520-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
xen
Alpine:v3.13
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.14
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.15
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.16
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.17
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.18
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.19
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.20
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.21
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.22
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
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Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
xen
Alpine:v3.23
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Alpine:v3.24
before 4.14.1-r0
4.14.1-r0
xen
Debian:12
before 4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
xen
Debian:13
before 4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
xen
Debian:14
before 4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
4.14.0+88-g1d1d1f5391-1
xen
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
From an advisory covering 93 CVEs
before 4.15.1_01-1.2
4.15.1_01-1.2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-29567 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.2) in Xen, published December 15, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.37%, the 30th percentile. Fixed in xen 4.14.1-r0.

References

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