SUSE SLES12 Security Update : kernel (SUSE-SU-2018:1377-2) (Spectre)

medium Nessus Plugin ID 118256

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Synopsis

The remote SUSE host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

The SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 SP2 LTSS kernel was updated to receive various security and bugfixes.

The following security bug was fixed :

CVE-2018-3639: Information leaks using 'Memory Disambiguation' feature in modern CPUs were mitigated, aka 'Spectre Variant 4' (bnc#1087082).

A new boot commandline option was introduced, 'spec_store_bypass_disable', which can have following values :

- auto: Kernel detects whether your CPU model contains an implementation of Speculative Store Bypass and picks the most appropriate mitigation.

- on: disable Speculative Store Bypass

- off: enable Speculative Store Bypass

- prctl: Control Speculative Store Bypass per thread via prctl. Speculative Store Bypass is enabled for a process by default. The state of the control is inherited on fork.

- seccomp: Same as 'prctl' above, but all seccomp threads will disable SSB unless they explicitly opt out.

The default is 'seccomp', meaning programs need explicit opt-in into the mitigation.

Status can be queried via the /sys/devices/system/cpu/vulnerabilities/spec_store_bypas s file, containing :

- 'Vulnerable'

- 'Mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled'

- 'Mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl'

- 'Mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp'

The following related and non-security bugs were fixed: cpuid: Fix cpuid.edx.7.0 propagation to guest

ext4: Fix hole length detection in ext4_ind_map_blocks() (bsc#1090953).

ibmvnic: Clean actual number of RX or TX pools (bsc#1092289).

kvm: Introduce nopvspin kernel parameter (bsc#1056427).

kvm: Fix nopvspin static branch init usage (bsc#1056427).

powerpc/64: Use barrier_nospec in syscall entry (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

powerpc/64s: Add barrier_nospec (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

powerpc/64s: Add support for ori barrier_nospec patching (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

powerpc/64s: Enable barrier_nospec based on firmware settings (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

powerpc/64s: Enhance the information in cpu_show_meltdown() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/64s: Enhance the information in cpu_show_spectre_v1() (bsc#1068032).

powerpc/64s: Fix section mismatch warnings from setup_rfi_flush() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/64s: Move cpu_show_meltdown() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/64s: Patch barrier_nospec in modules (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

powerpc/64s: Wire up cpu_show_spectre_v1() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/64s: Wire up cpu_show_spectre_v2() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/powernv: Set or clear security feature flags (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/powernv: Use the security flags in pnv_setup_rfi_flush() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/pseries: Add new H_GET_CPU_CHARACTERISTICS flags (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/pseries: Fix clearing of security feature flags (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/pseries: Restore default security feature flags on setup (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/pseries: Set or clear security feature flags (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/pseries: Use the security flags in pseries_setup_rfi_flush() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/rfi-flush: Always enable fallback flush on pseries (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/rfi-flush: Differentiate enabled and patched flush types (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc/rfi-flush: Make it possible to call setup_rfi_flush() again (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc: Add security feature flags for Spectre/Meltdown (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc: Move default security feature flags (bsc#1068032, bsc#1075087, bsc#1091041).

powerpc: Use barrier_nospec in copy_from_user() (bsc#1068032, bsc#1080157).

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the SUSE security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Solution

To install this SUSE Security Update use the SUSE recommended installation methods like YaST online_update or 'zypper patch'.

Alternatively you can run the command listed for your product :

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12-SP2-BCL:zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-SERVER-12-SP2-BCL-2018-956=1

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 118256

File Name: suse_SU-2018-1377-2.nasl

Version: 1.6

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: SuSE Local Security Checks

Published: 10/22/2018

Updated: 7/30/2024

Supported Sensors: Agentless Assessment, Continuous Assessment, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.7

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Low

Base Score: 2.1

Temporal Score: 1.6

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2018-3639

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.5

Temporal Score: 5

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:novell:suse_linux:12, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default-base, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kgraft-patch-4_4_121-92_80-default, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default-debugsource, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default-devel, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default-base-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-syms, p-cpe:/a:novell:suse_linux:kernel-default

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, Host/SuSE/release, Host/SuSE/rpm-list

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 10/18/2018

Vulnerability Publication Date: 5/22/2018

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2018-3639

Detections

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