Linux Kernel - Security Update (DSA-3170-1)

Background

The Linux kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system. It provides essential functionality and interfaces for various hardware devices, file systems, and network protocols. The Linux kernel is widely used in a variety of systems, including servers, desktops, and embedded devices. This security update (DSA-3170-1) addresses multiple vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to denial of service, information leaks, or privilege escalation.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerabilities addressed in this security update include:

1. CVE-2013-7421 / CVE-2014-9644: The Crypto API allows unprivileged users to load arbitrary kernel modules, which can be exploited to target vulnerabilities in modules that would not normally be loaded.

2. CVE-2014-7822: The splice() system call does not validate the given file offset and length, potentially leading to filesystem corruption on ext4 filesystems.

3. CVE-2014-8160: A netfilter (iptables/ip6tables) rule accepting packets to a specific SCTP, DCCP, GRE, or UDPlite port/endpoint could result in incorrect connection tracking state, allowing access to any port/endpoint of the specified protocol.

4. CVE-2014-8559: Kernel functions that iterate over a directory tree can deadlock or live-lock if some directory entries were recently deleted or dropped from the cache, leading to denial of service.

5. CVE-2014-9585: Address randomization for the vDSO in 64-bit processes is biased, potentially bypassing the ASLR protection mechanism.

6. CVE-2014-9683: eCryptfs writes past the end of the allocated buffer during encrypted filename decoding, resulting in local denial of service.

7. CVE-2015-0239: KVM does not correctly emulate the x86 SYSENTER instruction, potentially leading to denial of service or privilege escalation.

8. CVE-2015-1420: The open_by_handle_at() system call reads the handle size from user memory a second time after validating it, allowing privilege escalation.

9. CVE-2015-1421: The SCTP implementation can free an authentication state while it is still in use, resulting in heap corruption and potential denial of service or privilege escalation.

10. CVE-2015-1593: Address randomization for the initial stack in 64-bit processes is limited, potentially bypassing the ASLR protection mechanism.

sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade linux

Conclusion

The Linux kernel security update (DSA-3170-1) addresses multiple vulnerabilities that could potentially lead to denial of service, information leaks, or privilege escalation. It is highly recommended to upgrade the Linux kernel to the fixed version provided by the respective distribution's package update procedures. For further support on vulnerability remediation, you can contact DevNack.com.

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