CVE-2010-4527: Buffer Overflow
"The loadmixervolumes() function, which can be triggered by unprivileged users via the SOUNDMIXERSETLEVELS ioctl, is vulnerable to a buffer overflow. Because the provided 'name' argument isn't guaranteed to be NULL terminated at the expected 32 bytes, it's possible to overflow past the end of the last element in the mixervols array. Further exploitation can result in an arbitrary kernel write (via subsequent calls to loadmixervolumes()) leading to privilege escalation, or arbitrary kernel reads via getmixerlevels(). In addition, the strcmp() may leak bytes beyond the mixervols array.
This only affects users who are using OSS (not to be confused with the OSS emulation provided by ALSA), and requires access to a device file normally restricted to users in group audio."
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2010/q4/377
Upstream commit: http://git.kernel.org/linus/d81a12bc29ae4038770e05dce4ab7f26fd5880fb
Acknowledgements:
Red Hat would like to thank Dan Rosenberg for reporting this issue.
Other sources
The loadmixervolumes function in sound/oss/soundcard.c in the OSS sound subsystem in the Linux kernel before 2.6.37 incorrectly expects that a certain name field ends with a '\0' character, which allows local users to conduct buffer overflow attacks and gain privileges, or possibly obtain sensitive information from kernel memory, via a SOUNDMIXERSETLEVELS ioctl call.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2010-4527?
CVE-2010-4527 has a high severity rating due to the potential for buffer overflow that could be exploited by unprivileged users.
How do I fix CVE-2010-4527?
To mitigate CVE-2010-4527, ensure that you upgrade to a Linux kernel version later than 2.6.37.
Who is affected by CVE-2010-4527?
CVE-2010-4527 affects various Linux kernel versions up to 2.6.37 and user-mode-linux implementations.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2010-4527?
CVE-2010-4527 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting the load_mixer_volumes() function.
Can CVE-2010-4527 be exploited remotely?
CVE-2010-4527 requires local access to the system, making it not directly exploitable remotely.