Security update for Linux kernel

Knowledgebase

(Last modified: 08OCT2007)

solutions Security update for Linux kernel SuSE Linux Maintenance Web (e6e2ffbd54ec927734c60e0c70947511)

Applies to

Package: kernel-bigsmp
kernel-debug
kernel-default
kernel-kdump
kernel-smp
kernel-source
kernel-syms
kernel-xen
kernel-xenpae
Product(s): SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 SP1 for x86
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 SP1 DEBUGINFO for x86
SLE SDK 10 SP1 for x86
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP1 for x86
Zypp-Patch-Number: 4471
Release: 20071008
Obsoletes: a4e6d19f94707022b621550d1049f74e

Indications

Everyone using the Linux Kernel on x86 architecture should update.

Contraindications

None.

Problem description

This kernel update fixes the following security problems:

CVE-2007-4573: It was possible for local user to become root by exploiting a bug in the IA32 system call emulation. This affects x86_64 platforms with kernel 2.4.x and 2.6.x before 2.6.22.7 only.
CVE-2007-4571: An information disclosure vulnerability in the ALSA driver can be exploited by local users to read sensitive data from the kernel memory.

and the following non security bugs:

patches.xen/xen-blkback-cdrom: CDROM removable media-present attribute plus handling code [#159907]
patches.drivers/libata-add-pata_dma-kernel-parameter: libata: Add a drivers/ide style DMA disable [#229260] [#272786]
patches.drivers/libata-sata_via-kill-SATA_PATA_SHARING: sata_via: kill SATA_PATA_SHARING register handling [#254158] [#309069]
patches.drivers/libata-sata_via-add-PCI-IDs: sata_via: add PCI IDs [#254158] [#326647]
supported.conf: Marked 8250 and 8250_pci as supported (only Xen kernels build them as modules) [#260686]
patches.fixes/bridge-module-get-put.patch: Module use count must be updated as bridges are created/destroyed [#267651]
patches.fixes/iscsi-netware-fix: Linux Initiator hard hangs writing files to NetWare target [#286566]
patches.fixes/lockd-chroot-fix: Allow lockd to work reliably with applications in a chroot [#288376] [#305480]
add patches.fixes/x86_64-hangcheck_timer-fix.patch fix monotonic_clock() and hangcheck_timer [#291633]
patches.arch/sn_hwperf_cpuinfo_fix.diff: Correctly count CPU objects for SGI ia64/sn hwperf interface [#292240]
Extend reiserfs to properly support file systems up to 16 TiB [#294754]
- patches.fixes/reiserfs-signedness-fixes.diff: reiserfs: fix usage of signed ints for block numbers
- patches.fixes/reiserfs-fix-large-fs.diff: reiserfs: ignore s_bmap_nr on disk for file systems >= 8 TiB
patches.suse/ocfs2-06-per-resource-events.diff: Deliver events without a specified resource unconditionally. [#296606]
patches.fixes/proc-readdir-race-fix.patch: Fix the race in proc_pid_readdir [#297232]
patches.xen/xen3-patch-2.6.16.49-50: XEN: update to Linux 2.6.16.50 [#298719]
patches.fixes/pm-ordering-fix.patch: PM: Fix ACPI suspend / device suspend ordering [#302207]
patches.drivers/ibmvscsi-slave_configure.patch add ->slave_configure() to allow device restart [#304138]
patches.arch/ppc-power6-ebus-unique_location.patch Prevent bus_id collisions [#306482]
patches.xen/30-bit-field-booleans.patch: Fix packet loss in DomU xen netback driver [#306896]
config/i386/kdump: Enable ahci module [#308556]
update patches.drivers/ppc-power6-ehea.patch fix link state detection for bonding [#309553]
patches.drivers/ibmveth-fixup-pool_deactivate.patch patches.drivers/ibmveth-large-frames.patch patches.drivers/ibmveth-large-mtu.patch: fix serveral crashes when changing ibmveth sysfs values [#326164]
patches.drivers/libata-sata_sil24-fix-IRQ-clearing-race-on-IRQ_WOC: sata_sil24: fix IRQ clearing race when PCIX_IRQ_WOC is used [#327536]
update patches.drivers/ibmvscsis.patch set blocksize to PAGE_CACHE_SIZE to fix flood of bio allocation warnings/failures [#328219]

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:

rpm -Fvh kernel-*.rpm

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. If you are using GRUB you don't need to do anything.
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

Download Source Packages

Download the source code of the patches for maintained products.

Disclaimer

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