CVE-2011-2494: Infoleak

Published Jun 27, 2011
·
Updated

kernel/taskstats.c in the Linux kernel before 3.1 allows local users to obtain sensitive I/O statistics by sending taskstats commands to a netlink socket, as demonstrated by discovering the length of another user's password.

Other sources

taskstats information may be used for gathering private information. E.g. for openssh and vsftpd daemons readcharacters/writecharacters may be used to learn the precise password length. Restrict it to processes being able to ptrace the target process. For TASKSTATSCMDATTRREGISTERCPUMASK the fix is euid check instead of a ptrace check as the handler is processed in the context of the target process, not the listener process'. When ptracetaskmayaccesscurrent() is introduced, it should be used instead of euid check. Currently there is a small race when a process temporarily changes its euid (e.g. to access user's files), until the process sets euid back user's processes may gather privileged process' statistics.

taskstats authorizedkeys presence infoleak PoC http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2011/q2/659

[0/2] restrict statistics information to user https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/6/24/88 [1/2] proc: restrict access to /proc/PID/io (CVE-2011-2495) https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/916032/ [2/2] taskstats: restrict access to user (CVE-2011-2494) https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/916042/

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.oss.general/5337 Linus suggested returning accounting information at a 1k granularity instead.

Acknowledgements:

Red Hat would like to thank Vasiliy Kulikov of Openwall for reporting this issue.

Red Hat

Affected Software

35 affected components
debian/linux-2.6
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.25
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.22
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.5
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.18
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.6
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.11
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.32
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.19
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.4
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.27
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.23
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.8
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.33
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.28
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.13
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.10
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.1
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.17
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.16
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.21
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.7
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.20
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.24
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.15
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.2
Linux Linux kernel<=3.0.34
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.12
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.3
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.9
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.26
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.30
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.31
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.29
Linux Linux kernel=3.0.14

Event History

Jun 27, 2011
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·09:04 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jun 13, 2012
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Description
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·09:58 PM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·12:42 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2011-2494?

CVE-2011-2494 has a moderate severity rating as it allows local users to obtain sensitive information.

2

How do I fix CVE-2011-2494?

To fix CVE-2011-2494, upgrade your Linux kernel to version 3.1 or later.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2011-2494?

CVE-2011-2494 affects local users of versions of the Linux kernel prior to 3.1.

4

What type of information can be disclosed due to CVE-2011-2494?

CVE-2011-2494 can be exploited to disclose sensitive I/O statistics, including potentially discovering user passwords.

5

When was CVE-2011-2494 discovered?

CVE-2011-2494 was discovered and reported in June 2011.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203