Guest-to-host compromise via stale DMA mappings
Published Jan 5, 2024 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
Improper IOMMU invalidation in Xen on x86 AMD systems allows guest OS users with a passed-through device to compromise the host. Xen updates selected device-table-entry fields without flushing the AMD IOMMU TLB, leaving stale DMA translations that can address memory outside the guest. Exploitation requires an x86 AMD host with IOMMU hardware and PCI passthrough; a guest can escalate privileges, disclose memory, or interrupt the entire host.
Summary
What happened
Improper IOMMU invalidation in Xen on x86 AMD systems allows guest OS users with a passed-through device to compromise the host. Xen updates selected device-table-entry fields without flushing the AMD IOMMU TLB, leaving stale DMA translations that can address memory outside the guest. Exploitation requires an x86 AMD host with IOMMU hardware and PCI passthrough; a guest can escalate privileges, disclose memory, or interrupt the entire host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-34326
- Published
- Jan 5, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-672, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 5, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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What is affected?
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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