|
Linux Kernel "do_brk()" Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
|
|
Secunia Advisory:
|
SA10328
|
|
|
Release Date:
|
2003-12-02
|
|
Popularity:
|
27,536 views
|
|
|
Critical:
|
Less critical
|
|
Impact:
|
Privilege escalation
|
|
Where:
|
Local system
|
|
Solution Status:
|
Vendor Patch
|
|
| OS: | Linux Kernel 2.4.x
|
|
|
Subscribe:
|
Instant alerts on relevant vulnerabilities 
|
|
| CVE reference: | CVE-2003-0961
|
|
Description:
A vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel 2.4, which can be exploited by malicious, local users to escalate their privileges.
The problem is that the kernel function "do_brk()" fails to perform proper bounds checking, allowing users to create a large virtual memory area (VMA), which can include kernel memory. This gives the user access to kernel memory space.
While "do_brk()" can't be called directly by user space processes, it may be called through ELF and a.out loaders as well as the "brk()" system call. Successful exploitation provides full root privileges.
An exploit has been developed and is in the wild.
This has been reported to affect Linux kernel prior to 2.4.23.
Solution:
Linux kernel 2.4.23 is not vulnerable.
http://kernel.org/mirrors/
Provided and/or discovered by:
Paul Starzetz
Original Advisory:
Linux kernel do_brk() lacks argument bound checking
http://isec.pl/vulnerabilities/isec-0012-do_brk.txt
Other References:
http://kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/ChangeLog-2.4.23
|
|
|
Track this Secunia Advisory
|
Customers of the Secunia Vulnerability Intelligence solutions will automatically receive updates when new information regarding this advisory is released.
Read more about our Vulnerability Intelligence solutions and what they can do for you and your company.
|
|
|
About this Secunia Advisory
|
Please note: The information that this Secunia Advisory is based on comes from a third party unless stated otherwise.
Secunia collects, validates, and verifies all vulnerability reports issued by security research groups, vendors, and others.
|
