#VU16628 Memory corruption in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-20169

Vulnerability identifier: #VU16628

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.9 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-20169

CWE-ID: CWE-119

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 or execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The vulnerability exists in the USB subsystem due to improper checks on the minimum and maximum size of data allowed when reading an extra descriptor by the USB subsystem of the affected software, related to the __usb_get_extra_descriptor in the drivers/usb/core/usb.c source code file. A local attacker can insert a USB device designed to submit malicious input, trigger memory corruption and cause the service to crash or execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may result in system compromise.

Mitigation
The vulnerability has been fixed in the versions 4.14.88, 4.19.9, 4.4.167, 4.9.145.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.4.0 - 4.4.166, 4.9 - 4.9.144, 4.14.0 rc1 - 4.19.8

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External links
https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.19.9

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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.