1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-5916-1

USN-5916-1: Linux kernel vulnerability

Publication date

3 March 2023

Overview

The system could be made to crash or run programs as an administrator.

Releases

Packages

Details

Jann Horn discovered that the Linux kernel did not properly track memory
allocations for anonymous VMA mappings in some situations, leading to
potential data structure reuse. A local attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (system crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code.

Jann Horn discovered that the Linux kernel did not properly track memory
allocations for anonymous VMA mappings in some situations, leading to
potential data structure reuse. A local attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (system crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code.

Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

ATTENTION: Due to an unavoidable ABI change the kernel updates have been given a new version number, which requires you to recompile and reinstall all third party kernel modules you might have installed. Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages (e.g. linux-generic, linux-generic-lts-RELEASE, linux-virtual, linux-powerpc), a standard system upgrade will automatically perform this as well.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
14.04 trusty linux-image-server –  3.13.0.192.202  
linux-image-3.13.0-192-generic –  3.13.0-192.243  
linux-image-virtual –  3.13.0.192.202  
linux-image-generic-lts-trusty –  3.13.0.192.202  
linux-image-3.13.0-192-lowlatency –  3.13.0-192.243  
linux-image-generic –  3.13.0.192.202  
linux-image-lowlatency –  3.13.0.192.202  

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References

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