CVE-2011-4611: Integer Overflow
A PMC is 32 bits (ie an int). Since we pass it around as an unsigned long, we need to cast it before doing the comparison.
This does not affect the upstream kernel as it is already fixed. This is an issue that was introduced in bug 720743.
Upstream commit: http://git.kernel.org/linus/0837e3242c73566fc1c0196b4ec61779c25ffc93
Acknowledgements:
Red Hat would like to thank Maynard Johnson for reporting this issue.
Other sources
Integer overflow in the perfeventinterrupt function in arch/powerpc/kernel/perfevent.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.39 on powerpc platforms allows local users to cause a denial of service (unhandled performance monitor exception) via vectors that trigger certain outcomes of performance events.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2011-4611?
CVE-2011-4611 is considered a low severity vulnerability as it does not affect the upstream kernel which has already been fixed.
How do I fix CVE-2011-4611?
To fix CVE-2011-4611, update the Linux kernel to version 2.6.39 or later.
Which versions of Linux are affected by CVE-2011-4611?
CVE-2011-4611 affects Linux Kernel versions prior to 2.6.39.
Is CVE-2011-4611 still a concern for users of the latest Linux distributions?
No, users of the latest Linux distributions are not affected since the vulnerability has already been fixed upstream.
What type of issue is CVE-2011-4611?
CVE-2011-4611 is primarily a type casting issue related to the handling of the process management context (PMC) in the kernel.