CVE-2016-2187: Null Pointer Dereference

Published Mar 11, 2016
·
Updated

A flaw was found in in the Linux kernel's USB device management code which could cause a crash when a device which required gtco module. The kernel would panic causing null pointer dereference attempting to access invalid USB device descriptors.

Product bug:

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/showbug.cgi?id=1283385

Intended to be public via:

http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2016/Mar/86

Public via:

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/showbug.cgi?id=1283385

Proposed upstream patch (linux-usb@ and linux-input@ lists):

http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-usb/msg137950.html http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-input/msg43786.html

Upstream patch:

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=162f98dea487206d9ab79fc12ed64700667a894d

Other sources

The gtcoprobe function in drivers/input/tablet/gtco.c in the Linux kernel through 4.5.2 allows physically proximate attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) via a crafted endpoints value in a USB device descriptor.

Launchpad

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=15.10
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Linux Linux kernel<=4.5.2
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Debuginfo=11-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=11-extra
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=11-sp4
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Event History

Mar 11, 2016
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·05:23 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 2, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Description
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:16 PM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:12 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·03:27 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-2187?

CVE-2016-2187 has been classified with high severity due to its potential to cause kernel panics and crashes in affected systems.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-2187?

To fix CVE-2016-2187, update the Linux kernel to the recommended versions including 5.10.223-1 or later versions.

3

Which versions of Ubuntu are affected by CVE-2016-2187?

CVE-2016-2187 affects Ubuntu versions 12.04, 14.04, 15.10, and 16.04 LTS.

4

What Linux distributions are impacted by CVE-2016-2187?

CVE-2016-2187 impacts various Linux distributions including Ubuntu and SUSE Linux versions specified in the vulnerability report.

5

Is CVE-2016-2187 related to USB device management in Linux?

Yes, CVE-2016-2187 is specifically related to a flaw in the Linux kernel's USB device management code.

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