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Debian DSA-466-1 : linux-kernel-2.2.10-powerpc-apus - failing function and TLB flush

high Nessus Plugin ID 15303

Synopsis

The remote Debian host is missing a security-related update.

Description

Paul Starzetz and Wojciech Purczynski of isec.pl discovered a critical security vulnerability in the memory management code of Linux inside the mremap(2) system call. Due to flushing the TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer, an address cache) too early it is possible for an attacker to trigger a local root exploit.

The attack vectors for 2.4.x and 2.2.x kernels are exclusive for the respective kernel series, though. We formerly believed that the exploitable vulnerability in 2.4.x does not exist in 2.2.x which is still true. However, it turned out that a second (sort of) vulnerability is indeed exploitable in 2.2.x, but not in 2.4.x, with a different exploit, of course.

Solution

Upgrade the Linux kernel package.

For the stable distribution (woody) this problem has been fixed in version 2.2.10-13woody1 of 2.2 kernel images for the powerpc/apus architecture and in version 2.2.10-2 of Linux 2.2.10 source.

You are strongly advised to switch to the fixed 2.4.17 kernel-image package for powerpc/apus from woody until the 2.4.20 kernel-image package is fixed in the unstable distribution.

 Vulnerability matrix for CAN-2004-0077

See Also

http://isec.pl/vulnerabilities/isec-0014-mremap-unmap.txt

http://www.debian.org/security/2004/dsa-466

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 15303

File Name: debian_DSA-466.nasl

Version: 1.27

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 9/29/2004

Updated: 1/4/2021

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: High

Score: 8.9

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.2

Temporal Score: 6.3

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

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:kernel-image-2.2.10-powerpc-apus, p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:kernel-source-2.2.10, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:3.0

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/Debian/release, Host/Debian/dpkg-l

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 3/18/2004

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2004-0077

BID: 9686

CERT: 981222

DSA: 466