CVE-2016-1583: Buffer Overflow
Last updated 24 July 2024
Other sources
The ecryptfs mechanism can be used to mmap files that normally wouldn't be mmapable, especially /proc/$pid/{mem,environ,cmdline} files. An attacker could chain e.g. /proc/$pid/environ mappings where process 1 has /proc/2/environ mapped into its environment area, process 2 has /proc/3/environ mapped into its environment area and so on, that can lead to kernel stack overflow.
This can be chained together into a stack overflow and an attacker can escalate their privileges.
Upstream:
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/522
Upstream patches:
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=e54ad7f1ee263ffa5a2de9c609d58dfa27b21cd9
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=2f36db71009304b3f0b95afacd8eba1f9f046b87
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=29d6455178a09e1dc340380c582b13356227e8df
— Red Hat
The ecryptfsprivilegedopen function in fs/ecryptfs/kthread.c in the Linux kernel before 4.6.3 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (stack memory consumption) via vectors involving crafted mmap calls for /proc pathnames, leading to recursive pagefault handling.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2016-1583?
CVE-2016-1583 has a medium severity rating as it can lead to information disclosure through improper access to memory mappings.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1583?
To fix CVE-2016-1583, upgrade your Linux kernel to a version that is not affected, such as 5.10.223-1 or later.
What is the impact of CVE-2016-1583?
The impact of CVE-2016-1583 allows an attacker to gain access to sensitive information contained in process memory.
Which Linux distributions are affected by CVE-2016-1583?
CVE-2016-1583 affects various distributions including Ubuntu, SUSE Linux, and Debian based systems.
When was CVE-2016-1583 discovered?
CVE-2016-1583 was discovered and publicly disclosed in June 2016.