Linux kernel 20080610

abstract

Linux kernel
SuSE Linux Maintenance Web (853e9a34519c5d7f690c2da465430026)

Applies to

Package: kernel-bigsmp kernel-bigsmp-debug kernel-debug kernel-debug-debug kernel-default kernel-default-debug kernel-smp kernel-smp-debug kernel-source kernel-syms kernel-um kernel-um-debug kernel-xen kernel-xen-debug kernel-xenpae kernel-xenpae-debug um-host-install-initrd um-host-kernel
Product(s):
Novell Linux Desktop 9 for x86
Open Enterprise Server
Patch: patch-12181

Release: 20080610
Obsoletes: aab836528f99df07c43db5dd38e62ad0

details

Indications

Everyone using the Linux Kernel should update.

Contraindications

None.

Problem description

This kernel update fixes following security problems:

• CVE-2008-1615: On x86_64 a denial of service attack could be used by local attackers to immediately panic / crash the machine.
• CVE-2008-1375: Fixed a dnotify race condition, which could be used by local attackers to potentially execute code.
• CVE-2007-6282: A remote attacker could crash the IPSec/IPv6 stack by sending a bad ESP packet. This requires the host to be able to receive such packets (default filtered by the firewall).
• CVE-2008-1367: Clear the "direction" flag before calling signal handlers. For specific not yet identified programs under specific timing conditions this could potentially have caused memory corruption or code execution.

Other changes and improvements include:

• OCFS2 updated to 1.2.9
• Significant bug fixes.

More details are available in the package changelog, or in the listed bugzillas.

Solution

Please install the updates provided at the location noted below.

Installation notes

This update is provided as an RPM package that can easily be installed onto a running system.

First, find out which kernel package to download and use, for example with

rpm -qf /boot/vmlinuz

Download the kernel image fitting your setup and the kernel symbols (kernel-syms*.rpm) and install it with either:

• rpm -Fvh kernel-syms*.rpm kernel-default*.rpm for the default kernel image, or
• rpm -Fhv kernel-syms*.rpm kernel-smp*.rpm for the SMP kernel image with support for up to 64 GB, or
• rpm -Fhv kernel-syms*.rpm kernel-bigsmp*.rpm for the SMP kernel image with support for up to 64 GB

Please do only install one of these kernels, not all of them.

In case you are using LILO as bootmanager, please make sure that you also execute the command

lilo

after installing the update for the system to remain bootable.

Finally, reboot the system with

shutdown -r now

to load the new kernel (replace "now" with the appropriate amount of time to allow local users to cleanly log out, for example "+5" for five minutes.)