#VU28378 Use-after-free in Linux kernel - CVE-2018-10879

Vulnerability identifier: #VU28378

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-2018-10879

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

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

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local authenticated user to execute arbitrary code.

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem. A local user can cause a use-after-free in ext4_xattr_set_entry function and a denial of service or unspecified other impact may occur by renaming a file in a crafted ext4 filesystem image.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: 4.4 - 4.4.161, 4.9 - 4.9.132, 4.14 - 4.17.5

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External links
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.14.55
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.17.6
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.4.161
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.9.133
https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.4.162

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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.