CVE-2015-3290: High severity linux kernel vulnerability

Published Jul 15, 2015
·
Updated

A flaw was found in the way Linux kernel's nested NMI handler and espfix64 functionalities interacted during NMI processing.

A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to crash the system or, potentially, escalate their privileges on the system.

Upstream fix: https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=9b6e6a8334d56354853f9c255d1395c2ba570e0a

Acknowledgements:

Red Hat would like to thank Andy Lutomirski for reporting this issue.

Other sources

arch/x86/entry/entry64.S in the Linux kernel before 4.1.6 on the x8664 platform improperly relies on espfix64 during nested NMI processing, which allows local users to gain privileges by triggering an NMI within a certain instruction window.

MITRE

Affected Software

6 affected components
Linux Linux kernel<3.12.47
Linux Linux kernel>=3.13<3.14.54
Linux Linux kernel>=3.15<3.16.35
Linux Linux kernel>=3.17<3.18.22
Linux Linux kernel>=3.19<4.1.6
Linux Linux kernel<=4.1.5

Event History

Jul 15, 2015
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·01:42 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 31, 2015
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2015-3290?

CVE-2015-3290 has a moderate severity, allowing a local, unprivileged user to crash the system or potentially escalate privileges.

2

How do I fix CVE-2015-3290?

To fix CVE-2015-3290, update the Linux kernel to versions above 4.1.5, or apply the relevant patches from the upstream maintainers.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2015-3290?

CVE-2015-3290 affects Linux kernel versions prior to 3.12.47 and multiple versions between 3.13 and 4.1.5.

4

Can CVE-2015-3290 be exploited remotely?

CVE-2015-3290 cannot be exploited remotely as it requires local, unprivileged access to the system.

5

What are the potential impacts of CVE-2015-3290?

The potential impacts of CVE-2015-3290 include system crashes and unauthorized privilege escalation for local users.

Contact

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