#VU15486 Buffer over-read in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-16658

Vulnerability identifier: #VU15486

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.2 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-16658

CWE-ID: CWE-125

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 due to a boundary condition in cdrom_ioctl_drive_status() function in drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c. A local unprivileged user can create a specially crafted application, trigger out-of-bounds read error and read contents of kernel memory.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.0 - 4.0.9, 4.1 - 4.19.2, 4.2.0 - 4.2.8, 4.3 - 4.3.6, 4.4 - 4.4.163, 4.5.0 - 4.5.7, 4.6 rc1 - 4.6.7, 4.7.0 - 4.7.10, 4.8.0 - 4.8.17, 4.9 - 4.9.137

---

External links
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/8f3fafc9c2f0ece10832c25f7ffcb07c97a32ad4
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.18.6
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.20
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.9.138
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.4.164
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.19.3
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.18.20
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.14.82

---

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.