CVE-2016-3156: Medium severity suse linux enterprise software development kit vulnerability

Published Mar 16, 2016
·
Updated

Destroy of network interface with huge number of ipv4 addresses keeps rtnllock for a very long time (up to hour). It blocks many network related operations, including for example creation of new incoming ssh connections.

The problem is especially important for containers, container owner have enough permission to enable this trigger and then can block network access on whole host node.

Upstream fix:

http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/davem/net-next.git/commit/?id=fbd40ea0180a2d328c5adc61414dc8bab9335ce2

References:

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q1/643

CVE assignment:

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q1/647

Other sources

The IPv4 implementation in the Linux kernel before 4.5.2 mishandles destruction of device objects, which allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (host OS networking outage) by arranging for a large number of IP addresses.

Launchpad

Affected Software

15 affected componentsFixes available
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Debuginfo=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Live Patching=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Module For Public Cloud=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension=12.0-sp1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=11.0-extra
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension=12.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Linux Linux kernel<=4.5.1
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.22-16.12.25-1

Event History

Mar 16, 2016
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·08:42 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Apr 27, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:59 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:17 PM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:14 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·03:28 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-3156?

CVE-2016-3156 carries a medium severity rating due to its impact on network operations.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-3156?

To mitigate CVE-2016-3156, upgrading to the patched versions of kernel packages is recommended.

3

Which systems are affected by CVE-2016-3156?

CVE-2016-3156 affects various versions of SUSE Linux Enterprise and Ubuntu Linux among others.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2016-3156?

CVE-2016-3156 is a vulnerability that causes prolonged locking of the rtnl_lock, affecting network functions.

5

What are the consequences of CVE-2016-3156?

The consequences of CVE-2016-3156 include the blocking of network operations like SSH connections, especially in container environments.

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