#VU14180 Null pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-14613

Vulnerability identifier: #VU14180

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.4 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-14613

CWE-ID: CWE-476

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Linux kernel
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local attacker to cause DoS condition on the target system.

The vulnerability exists in the check_leaf_item() function, as defined in the source code file fs/btrfs/tree-checker.c, due to the affected software improperly validates block group items. A local attacker can mount and operate a specially crafted Btrfs filesystem that submits malicious input, trigger an invalid pointer dereference error in the io_ctl_map_page() function and cause the affected software to terminate abnormally.

Mitigation
Update to version 4.17.11.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.15 - 4.17.10

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External links
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=199849

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.