CVE-2016-2550

Published: 24 February 2016

The Linux kernel before 4.5 allows local users to bypass file-descriptor limits and cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging incorrect tracking of descriptor ownership and sending each descriptor over a UNIX socket before closing it. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2013-4312.

From the Ubuntu Security Team

David Herrmann discovered that the Linux kernel incorrectly accounted file descriptors to the original opener for in-flight file descriptors sent over a unix domain socket. A local attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (resource exhaustion).

Notes

Author	Note
jdstrand	android kernels (flo, goldfish, grouper, maguro, mako and manta) are not supported on the Ubuntu Touch 14.10 and earlier preview kernels linux-lts-saucy no longer receives official support linux-lts-quantal no longer receives official support

Author

Note

jdstrand

android kernels (flo, goldfish, grouper, maguro, mako and manta) are
not supported on the Ubuntu Touch 14.10 and earlier preview kernels
linux-lts-saucy no longer receives official support
linux-lts-quantal no longer receives official support

Priority

Cvss 3 Severity Score

5.5

Score breakdown

Status

Package	Release	Status
linux Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Not vulnerable (3.2.0-102.142)
	trusty	Released (3.13.0-85.129)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Released (3.19.0-58.64)
	wily	Released (4.2.0-35.40)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-11.26)
	yakkety	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-21.37)
	Patches: Introduced by 712f4aad406bb1ed67f3f98d04c044191f0ff593 Fixed by 415e3d3e90ce9e18727e8843ae343eda5a58fad6
linux-armadaxp Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Not vulnerable (3.2.0-1665.90)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
	This package is not directly supported by the Ubuntu Security Team
linux-aws Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1002.2)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1001.10)
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-flo Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Not vulnerable
	wily	Not vulnerable
	xenial	Not vulnerable
	yakkety	Not vulnerable
linux-gke Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1003.3)
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-goldfish Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Not vulnerable
	wily	Not vulnerable
	xenial	Not vulnerable
	yakkety	Not vulnerable
linux-grouper Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-hwe Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.8.0-36.36~16.04.1)
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-hwe-edge Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.8.0-36.36~16.04.1)
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-linaro-omap Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-linaro-shared Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-linaro-vexpress Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-quantal Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
	This package is not directly supported by the Ubuntu Security Team
linux-lts-raring Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-saucy Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
	This package is not directly supported by the Ubuntu Security Team
linux-lts-trusty Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Released (3.13.0-85.129~precise1)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-utopic Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Released (3.16.0-69.89~14.04.1)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-vivid Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Released (3.19.0-58.64~14.04.1)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-wily Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Released (4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-lts-xenial Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-13.29~14.04.1)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-maguro Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-mako Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Not vulnerable
	wily	Not vulnerable
	xenial	Not vulnerable
	yakkety	Not vulnerable
linux-manta Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist (trusty was ignored)
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Not vulnerable
	wily	Not vulnerable
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-qcm-msm Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Ignored (end of life)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist
linux-raspi2 Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Released (4.2.0-1028.36)
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1004.5)
	yakkety	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1009.10)
linux-snapdragon Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Does not exist
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1012.12)
	yakkety	Not vulnerable (4.4.0-1012.12)
linux-ti-omap4 Launchpad, Ubuntu, Debian	precise	Not vulnerable (3.2.0-1480.106)
	trusty	Does not exist
	upstream	Released (4.5~rc4)
	vivid	Does not exist
	wily	Does not exist
	xenial	Does not exist
	yakkety	Does not exist

Severity score breakdown

Parameter	Value
Base score	5.5
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges required	Low
User interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	None
Integrity impact	None
Availability impact	High
Vector	CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

References

Bugs

https://launchpad.net/bugs/1549203

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