#VU99979 Resource exhaustion in Linux kernel - CVE-2002-1963

Vulnerability identifier: #VU99979

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2002-1963

CWE-ID: CWE-400

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 perform service disruption.

Linux kernel 2.4.1 through 2.4.19 sets root's NR_RESERVED_FILES limit to 10 files, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (resource exhaustion) by opening 10 setuid binaries.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's repository.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: All versions

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External links
https://online.securityfocus.com/archive/1/281100
https://www.iss.net/security_center/static/9515.php
https://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/281359
https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/5178

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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.