Security update for Linux kernel

Knowledgebase

(Last modified: 01JUL2004)

solutions Security update for Linux kernel SuSE Linux Maintenance Web (2502dc8614fcd41fd4bcb5c6f1898d68)

Applies to

Package: kernel-iseries64
kernel-ppc64
kernel-source
Release: 20040701
Obsoletes: ac6e8cf7f4924ccb553bda4f81c0da49
38b381641a9b8b178bc566777b7d2ab2
7a40ff3a8c0de3bafe1b2b5d47b01f50
d1deb501fb3bad20d023d1262855886f

Indications

Everyone using the Linux Kernel on PPC architecture should update.

Contraindications

None.

Problem description

This kernel update fixes several security critical bugs that range from local denial-of-service conditions to possible privilege escalation.

chown: users can change the group affiliation of arbitrary files to the group they belong to
pss, mpu401 sound driver: read/write to complete memory
airo driver: read/write to complete memory
ALSA: copy_from_user/copy_to_user confused
acpi_asus: read from random memory
decnet: write to memory without checking
e1000 driver: read complete memory

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 use, for example with


rpm -qf /boot/vmlinuz

Download the kernel image fitting your setup and install it with either:

rpm -Fvh kernel-iseries64.rpm for the iSeries64 kernel, or
rpm -Fvh kernel-ppc64.rpm for the PPC64 kernel

After performing the RPM package update of your kernel package, you must execute the following commands as root to make sure that your system will start up again:


mk_initrd
lilo

links to download packages

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for IBM iSeries and IBM pSeries (ppc)

Download Source Packages

Download the source code of the patches for maintained products.

Disclaimer

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