#VU14182 Null pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-14617

Vulnerability identifier: #VU14182

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-2018-14617

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 due to NULL pointer dereference when the hfsplus_lookup() function, as defined in the fs/hfsplus/dir.c source code file of the affected software, opens a file in a read-only Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+) filesystem without a metadata directory and with malformed catalog data. A local attacker can mount a malicious HFS+ filesystem image, open a file in the image and cause kernel panic.

Mitigation
Cybersecurity Help is currently unaware of any solutions addressing the vulnerability.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.15 - 4.17.10

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External links
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=200297

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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.