[ GLSA 200408-24 ] Linux Kernel: Multiple information leaks

[GLSA]

Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Title: Linux Kernel: Multiple information leaks (GLSA 200408-24)
Severity: normal
Exploitable: local
Date: August 25, 2004
Updated: March 27, 2011
Bug(s): #59378, #59769, #59905
ID: 200408-24

Synopsis


Multiple information leaks have been found in the Linux kernel, allowing an
attacker to obtain sensitive data which may be used for further
exploitation of the system.


Background


The Linux kernel is responsible for managing the core aspects of a
GNU/Linux system, providing an interface for core system applications
as well as providing the essential structure and capability to access
hardware that is needed for a running system.


Affected Packages

Package: sys-kernel/aa-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.5-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.23-r2 < 2.4.24
Unaffected: >= 2.6.5-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/alpha-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.21-r12
Unaffected: >= 2.4.21-r12
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/ck-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r1 < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/development-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.8
Unaffected: >= 2.6.8
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/gentoo-dev-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r12
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r12
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/gentoo-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.26-r9
Unaffected: >= 2.4.19-r22 < 2.4.20
Unaffected: >= 2.4.20-r25 < 2.4.21
Unaffected: >= 2.4.22-r16 < 2.4.23
Unaffected: >= 2.4.25-r9 < 2.4.26
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r9
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/grsec-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.27.2.0.1-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.4.27.2.0.1-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/gs-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.25_pre7-r11
Unaffected: >= 2.4.25_pre7-r11
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/hardened-dev-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r7
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r7
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/hardened-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.27-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.4.27-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/hppa-dev-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7_p14-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7_p14-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/hppa-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.26_p7-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26_p7-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/ia64-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.24-r10
Unaffected: >= 2.4.24-r10
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/mips-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.6-r8
Unaffected: >= 2.4.25-r8 < 2.4.26
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r8 < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.6.4-r8 < 2.6.5
Unaffected: >= 2.6.6-r8 < 2.6.7
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/mm-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.8_rc4-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.6.8_rc4-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/openmosix-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.24-r4
Unaffected: >= 2.4.24-r4
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/pac-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.23-r12
Unaffected: >= 2.4.23-r12
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/pegasos-dev-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.8
Unaffected: >= 2.6.8
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/rsbac-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.26-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/rsbac-dev-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/selinux-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.26-r3
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r3
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/sparc-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.27-r1
Unaffected: >= 2.4.27-r1
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/uclinux-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7_p0-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26_p0-r6 < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7_p0-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/usermode-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.6-r6
Unaffected: >= 2.4.24-r9 < 2.4.25
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r6 < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.6.6-r6
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/vanilla-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.4.27
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/vserver-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.4.26.1.28-r4
Vulnerable: < 2.0
Vulnerable: >= 2.4
Unaffected: >= 2.0
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/win4lin-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.26-r6 < 2.4.27
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r2
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/wolk-sources
Vulnerable: < 4.14-r7
Unaffected: >= 4.9-r14 < 4.10
Unaffected: >= 4.11-r10 < 4.12
Unaffected: >= 4.14-r7
Architectures: All supported architectures

Package: sys-kernel/xbox-sources
Vulnerable: < 2.6.7-r5
Unaffected: >= 2.4.27-r1 < 2.4.28
Unaffected: >= 2.6.7-r5
Architectures: All supported architectures


Description


The Linux kernel allows a local attacker to obtain sensitive kernel
information by gaining access to kernel memory via several leaks in the
/proc interfaces. These vulnerabilities exist in various drivers which
make up a working Linux kernel, some of which are present across all
architectures and configurations.

CAN-2004-0415 deals with addressing invalid 32 to 64 bit conversions in
the kernel, as well as insecure direct access to file offset pointers
in kernel code which can be modified by the open(...), lseek(...) and
other core system I/O functions by an attacker.

CAN-2004-0685 deals with certain USB drivers using uninitialized
structures and then using the copy_to_user(...) kernel call to copy
these structures. This may leak uninitialized kernel memory, which can
contain sensitive information from user applications.

Finally, a race condition with the /proc/.../cmdline node was found,
allowing environment variables to be read while the process was still
spawning. If the race is won, environment variables of the process,
which might not be owned by the attacker, can be read.


Impact


These vulnerabilities allow a local unprivileged attacker to access
segments of kernel memory or environment variables which may contain
sensitive information. Kernel memory may contain passwords, data
transferred between processes and any memory which applications did not
clear upon exiting as well as the kernel cache and kernel buffers.

This information may be used to read sensitive data, open other attack
vectors for further exploitation or cause a Denial of Service if the
attacker can gain superuser access via the leaked information.


Workaround


There is no temporary workaround for any of these information leaks
other than totally disabling /proc support - otherwise, a kernel
upgrade is required. A list of unaffected kernels is provided along
with this announcement.


Resolution


Users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest available sources for
their system: