# CVE-2026-2243: QEMU out-of-bounds read in VMDK image parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-2243-qemu-out-of-bounds-read-in-vmdk-image-parsing  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-02-19. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-2243 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.1 · Published 2026-02-19

QEMU is an open-source virtualization platform that allows organizations to run virtual machines on their infrastructure. A flaw in QEMU's handling of VMDK disk images could allow an attacker to craft a malicious disk image that, when processed, leaks up to 12 bytes of sensitive information from the host system or causes the virtual machine to crash, disrupting service availability.

Technologies: [Qemu](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/qemu). Vendors: [Qemu](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/qemu).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-2243 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-2243 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-2243?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.1, published 19 February 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Qemu <UNKNOWN>.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-2243?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-2243 attacked?** It is attacked over the network or with local access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-2243?** Check whether you run Qemu at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read in QEMU's VMDK image parsing logic. When a specially crafted VMDK disk image is opened or processed by QEMU, the code reads beyond allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in either disclosure of 12 bytes of sensitive host memory or a denial of service via crash. The attack requires the attacker to either provide a malicious VMDK file to a victim or have the ability to place such a file where QEMU will open it. No authentication or special privileges are required to trigger the vulnerability once a malicious image is available. A patch is available and should be applied to affected QEMU installations.

## Affected products

- QEMU QEMU <UNKNOWN>

## Timeline

- 2026-02-19: disclosed

## References

- [https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu](https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu)
- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)

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