CVE-2011-1083: Medium severity linux kernel vulnerability
Description of problem: The epoll subsystem allows users to create large nested epoll structures, which the kernel will then to walk with preemption disabled, causing a denial of service via excessive CPU consumption in the kernel.
References: http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1105744 http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1105744/focus=1105888 http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2011/q1/337
Acknowledgements:
Red Hat would like to thank Nelson Elhage for reporting this issue.
Other sources
The epoll implementation in the Linux kernel 2.6.37.2 and earlier does not properly traverse a tree of epoll file descriptors, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted application that makes epollcreate and epollctl system calls.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Patch Available
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2011-1083?
CVE-2011-1083 is classified as a denial-of-service vulnerability due to excessive CPU consumption.
How do I fix CVE-2011-1083?
To mitigate CVE-2011-1083, users should update their Linux kernel to a version newer than 2.6.37.2.
Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2011-1083?
CVE-2011-1083 affects Linux kernel versions up to and including 2.6.37.2.
Can CVE-2011-1083 be exploited remotely?
CVE-2011-1083 can potentially be exploited locally as it requires the ability to create nested epoll structures.
What platforms are affected by CVE-2011-1083?
CVE-2011-1083 impacts various distributions including SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and Server, as well as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.