CVE-2012-1179: Medium severity linux kernel vulnerability
In some cases it may happen that pmdnoneorclearbad() is called with the mmapsem hold in read mode. In those cases the huge page faults can allocate hugepmds under pmdnoneorclearbad() and that can trigger a false positive from pmdbad() that will not like to see a pmd materializing as trans huge.
A privileged user in the KVM guest can use this flaw to crash the host. An unprivileged local user could use this flaw to crash the system.
Proposed upstream patch: http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel.mm/75413
Other sources
The Linux kernel before 3.3.1, when KVM is used, allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (host OS crash) by leveraging administrative access to the guest OS, related to the pmdnoneorclearbad function and page faults for huge pages.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2012-1179?
CVE-2012-1179 has a severity rating that indicates it can potentially lead to denial of service conditions under specific circumstances.
How do I fix CVE-2012-1179?
To fix CVE-2012-1179, it is recommended to update to a patched version of the Linux kernel that is above 3.3.
What versions of Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2012-1179?
CVE-2012-1179 affects Linux kernel versions up to and including 3.3.
What impact does CVE-2012-1179 have on system stability?
CVE-2012-1179 may cause system instability leading to potential hangs or crashes during memory allocation.
Can CVE-2012-1179 be exploited remotely?
CVE-2012-1179 is not typically exploitable remotely; it generally requires local access to the system.