#VU15174 Improper access control in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-17972

Vulnerability identifier: #VU15174

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 4.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-17972

CWE-ID: CWE-284

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

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

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to gain access to potentially sensitive information.

The vulnerability exists within the proc_pid_stack() function in fs/proc/base.c due to the Linux kernel does not ensure that only root may inspect the kernel stack of an arbitrary task. A local user can exploit racy stack unwinding and leak kernel task stack contents.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.18.1 - 4.18.11

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External links
https://marc.info/?l=linux-fsdevel&m=153806242024956&w=2
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1636349

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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.