medium
4.9
CWE
20
Advisory Published
CVE Published
Updated

CVE-2012-4398: Input Validation

First published: Fri Aug 31 2012(Updated: )

As Tetsuo Handa pointed out, request_module() can stress the system while the oom-killed caller sleeps in TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE. The task T uses "almost all" memory, then it does something which triggers request_module(). Say, it can simply call sys_socket(). This in turn needs more memory and leads to OOM. oom-killer correctly chooses T and kills it, but this can't help because it sleeps in TASK_UNINTERRUPTIBLE and after that oom-killer becomes "disabled" by the TIF_MEMDIE task T. A local unprivileged user can make the system unusable. Upstream fixes: (1) 70834d30 "usermodehelper: use UMH_WAIT_PROC consistently" (2) b3449922 "usermodehelper: introduce umh_complete(sub_info)" (3) d0bd587a "usermodehelper: implement UMH_KILLABLE" (4) 9d944ef3 "usermodehelper: kill umh_wait, renumber UMH_* constants" (5) 5b9bd473 "usermodehelper: ____call_usermodehelper() doesn't need do_exit()" (6) 3e63a93b "kmod: introduce call_modprobe() helper" (7) 1cc684ab "kmod: make __request_module() killable" According to the reporter, (1) and (4) are optional and safer to exclude. References: <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/963685">https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/963685</a> Acknowledgements: Red Hat would like to thank Tetsuo Handa for reporting this issue.

Credit: secalert@redhat.com

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
Linux Kernel<=3.4
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc1
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc2
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc3
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc4
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc5
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc6
Linux Kernel=3.0-rc7
Linux Kernel=3.0.1
Linux Kernel=3.0.2
Linux Kernel=3.0.3
Linux Kernel=3.0.4
Linux Kernel=3.0.5
Linux Kernel=3.0.6
Linux Kernel=3.0.7
Linux Kernel=3.0.8
Linux Kernel=3.0.9
Linux Kernel=3.0.10
Linux Kernel=3.0.11
Linux Kernel=3.0.12
Linux Kernel=3.0.13
Linux Kernel=3.0.14
Linux Kernel=3.0.15
Linux Kernel=3.0.16
Linux Kernel=3.0.17
Linux Kernel=3.0.18
Linux Kernel=3.0.19
Linux Kernel=3.0.20
Linux Kernel=3.0.21
Linux Kernel=3.0.22
Linux Kernel=3.0.23
Linux Kernel=3.0.24
Linux Kernel=3.0.25
Linux Kernel=3.0.26
Linux Kernel=3.0.27
Linux Kernel=3.0.28
Linux Kernel=3.0.29
Linux Kernel=3.0.30
Linux Kernel=3.0.31
Linux Kernel=3.0.32
Linux Kernel=3.0.33
Linux Kernel=3.0.34
Linux Kernel=3.0.35
Linux Kernel=3.0.36
Linux Kernel=3.0.37
Linux Kernel=3.0.38
Linux Kernel=3.0.39
Linux Kernel=3.0.40
Linux Kernel=3.0.41
Linux Kernel=3.0.42
Linux Kernel=3.0.43
Linux Kernel=3.0.44
Linux Kernel=3.1
Linux Kernel=3.1-rc1
Linux Kernel=3.1-rc2
Linux Kernel=3.1-rc3
Linux Kernel=3.1-rc4
Linux Kernel=3.1.1
Linux Kernel=3.1.2
Linux Kernel=3.1.3
Linux Kernel=3.1.4
Linux Kernel=3.1.5
Linux Kernel=3.1.6
Linux Kernel=3.1.7
Linux Kernel=3.1.8
Linux Kernel=3.1.9
Linux Kernel=3.1.10
Linux Kernel=3.2
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc2
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc3
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc4
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc5
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc6
Linux Kernel=3.2-rc7
Linux Kernel=3.2.1
Linux Kernel=3.2.2
Linux Kernel=3.2.3
Linux Kernel=3.2.4
Linux Kernel=3.2.5
Linux Kernel=3.2.6
Linux Kernel=3.2.7
Linux Kernel=3.2.8
Linux Kernel=3.2.9
Linux Kernel=3.2.10
Linux Kernel=3.2.11
Linux Kernel=3.2.12
Linux Kernel=3.2.13
Linux Kernel=3.2.14
Linux Kernel=3.2.15
Linux Kernel=3.2.16
Linux Kernel=3.2.17
Linux Kernel=3.2.18
Linux Kernel=3.2.19
Linux Kernel=3.2.20
Linux Kernel=3.2.21
Linux Kernel=3.2.22
Linux Kernel=3.2.23
Linux Kernel=3.2.24
Linux Kernel=3.2.25
Linux Kernel=3.2.26
Linux Kernel=3.2.27
Linux Kernel=3.2.28
Linux Kernel=3.2.29
Linux Kernel=3.2.30
Linux Kernel=3.3
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc1
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc2
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc3
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc4
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc5
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc6
Linux Kernel=3.3-rc7
Linux Kernel=3.3.1
Linux Kernel=3.3.2
Linux Kernel=3.3.3
Linux Kernel=3.3.4
Linux Kernel=3.3.5
Linux Kernel=3.3.6
Linux Kernel=3.3.7
Linux Kernel=3.3.8
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc1
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc2
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc3
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc4
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc5
Linux Kernel=3.4-rc6
debian/linux
5.10.223-1
5.10.234-1
6.1.129-1
6.1.135-1
6.12.25-1
6.12.27-1

Remedy

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/linux-3.4.tar.bz2

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Read MoreStart Free Trial

Reference Links

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2012-4398?

    CVE-2012-4398 has a medium severity level as it can lead to system instability due to excessive memory use.

  • How do I fix CVE-2012-4398?

    To fix CVE-2012-4398, upgrade your Linux kernel to version 5.10.223-1 or later, or any of the specified remedied versions.

  • Which Linux kernel versions are affected by CVE-2012-4398?

    CVE-2012-4398 affects Linux kernel versions up to 3.4 and certain 3.0 release candidates.

  • What causes the vulnerability CVE-2012-4398?

    CVE-2012-4398 is caused by the request_module() function stressing the system while a task is in a non-interruptible sleep state.

  • Is there a known exploit for CVE-2012-4398?

    There are no widely reported exploits for CVE-2012-4398, but system administrators should still apply the necessary patches as a precaution.

Company

Resources

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.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203