CVE-2015-5257: Null Pointer Dereference
First published: Wed Sep 23 2015(Updated: )
A vulnerability in WhiteHEAT USB Serial Driver in "whiteheat_attach" function in drivers/usb/serial/whiteheat.c was found. In the driver, the “COMMAND_PORT” variable is hard coded and is set to “4” (5th element). The driver assumes that the number of ports will always be 5 and takes the port number 5 as the command port. But using a specially made USB device in which the number of ports is set to a number less than 5 (e.g. 3), it triggers kernel NULL pointer dereference causing the system to freeze. Disclosure post (including crash report logs): <a href="http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q3/629">http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q3/629</a> Statement: This issue affects the Linux kernel packages as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, 7 and MRG-2. This has been rated as having Low security impact and is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle: <a href="https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/">https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/</a>.
Credit: secalert@redhat.com secalert@redhat.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux kernel | <=4.2.3 | |
| debian/linux | 5.10.223-1 6.1.106-3 6.1.99-1 6.10.9-1 |
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Reference Links
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=cbb4be652d374f64661137756b8f357a1827d6a4
- http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3372
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.2.4
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/09/23/1
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/76834
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2792-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2794-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2795-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2798-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2799-1
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1265607
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/cbb4be652d374f64661137756b8f357a1827d6a4
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2015-5257
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q3/629
- https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1265612
- http://marc.info/?l=linux-usb&m=144303376328355
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2015-5275
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2015-5257
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q4/347
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2015-8320
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q4/356
- https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=cbb4be652d374f64661137756b8f357a1827d6a4
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2015-5257
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2015-5257
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5257
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-5257
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the vulnerability ID for this Linux kernel vulnerability?
The vulnerability ID for this Linux kernel vulnerability is CVE-2015-5257.
What is the severity level of vulnerability CVE-2015-5257?
The severity level of vulnerability CVE-2015-5257 is low.
How does vulnerability CVE-2015-5257 affect the Linux kernel?
Vulnerability CVE-2015-5257 allows physically proximate attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially have other unspecified impact via a crafted USB device.
Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by vulnerability CVE-2015-5257?
Vulnerability CVE-2015-5257 affects the Linux kernel before version 4.2.4.
How can I fix vulnerability CVE-2015-5257 in my Linux kernel?
To fix vulnerability CVE-2015-5257, update your Linux kernel to version 4.2.4 or later.
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