CVE-2016-2550: Medium severity linux kernel vulnerability
Last updated 24 July 2024
Other sources
The fix for CVE-2013-4312 incorrectly accounted the number of in-flight fds over a unix domain socket to the original opener of the file-descriptor. This allows another process to arbitrary deplete the original file-openers resource limit for the maximum of open files.
CVE-ID request and assignment:
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q1/401 http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q1/412
Upstream patch:
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=415e3d3e90ce9e18727e8843ae343eda5a58fad6
Commit, which introduced the issue (it was addressing CVE-2013-4312):
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=712f4aad406bb1ed67f3f98d04c044191f0ff593
— Red Hat
The Linux kernel before 4.5 allows local users to bypass file-descriptor limits and cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging incorrect tracking of descriptor ownership and sending each descriptor over a UNIX socket before closing it. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2013-4312.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2016-2550?
CVE-2016-2550 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel that allows local users to bypass file-descriptor limits and cause a denial of service by leveraging incorrect tracking of descriptor ownership.
What is the severity of CVE-2016-2550?
CVE-2016-2550 has a severity value of 4, which is considered medium.
How can I exploit CVE-2016-2550?
Exploiting CVE-2016-2550 requires local access to the Linux system and knowledge of the vulnerability's specific details.
How can I fix CVE-2016-2550?
To fix CVE-2016-2550, you should update your Linux kernel to version 4.5 or higher.
Where can I find more information about CVE-2016-2550?
You can find more information about CVE-2016-2550 on the CVE website (https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-2550) and in the Linux kernel commit (http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=415e3d3e90ce9e18727e8843ae343eda5a58fad6).