Security update for Linux kernel

Knowledgebase

(Last modified: 31MAY2005)

solutions Security update for Linux kernel SuSE Linux Maintenance Web (64251c053da708b39de6775b1dfb2ee3)

Applies to

Package: k_deflt
k_numa
k_smp
kernel-source
Product(s): SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for AMD64
Patch: patch-10217
Release: 20050531
Obsoletes: dcbba1019f38dc1dfd0bb8aecda92570
6bd3efb74577c58929a9b2fdfbb0de19

Indications

Everyone using the Linux Kernel on x86_64 architecture should update.

Contraindications

None.

Problem description

This update fixes the following security problems:

when creating directories on ext2 filesystems the kernel did not zero initialize the memory allocated. Therefore potentially sensitive information could be exposed to users (CAN-2005-0400).
local users can crash the kernel via a crafted ELF library or executable, which causes a free of an invalid pointer (CAN-2005-0749).
local users could gain root access by causing a core dump of specially crafted ELF executables (CAN-2005-1263).

This update also addresses the following non-security problems:

fix files beeing truncated to four gigabytes on ext3
fix entries in /proc that caused 'top' to crash
fix kernel crash caused by busy inodes after umount
fix data corruption issue in MD multipath when retrying failed IO
enhanced locking in MD multipath and raid1
fix endless loop in IPsec
fix crash in XFS filesystem

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 k_deflt-2.4.*.rpm for the default kernel image, or
rpm -Fhv k_smp-2.4.*.rpm for the SMP kernel image, or
rpm -Fhv k_numa-2.4.*.rpm for the NUMA kernel image

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

links to download packages

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 for AMD64 (x86_64)

Download Source Packages

Download the source code of the patches for maintained products.

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