CVE-2016-4486: Infoleak
An information leak vulnerability in rtnetlink subsystem in Linux kernel was found in "net/core/rtnetlink.c". The stack object "map" has a total size of 32 bytes. Its last 4 bytes are padding generated by compiler. These padding bytes are not initialized and sent out via nlaput().
Public via:
http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=146230821206492&w=2
http://marc.info/?l=linux-netdev&m=146230822606494&w=2
CVE-ID request and assignment:
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/234
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/237
Upstream patch:
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/davem/net.git/commit/?id=5f8e44741f9f216e33736ea4ec65ca9ac03036e6
https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=5f8e44741f9f216e33736ea4ec65ca9ac03036e6
Other sources
The rtnlfilllinkifmap function in net/core/rtnetlink.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.5 does not initialize a certain data structure, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel stack memory by reading a Netlink message.
— Launchpad
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2016-4486?
CVE-2016-4486 has a medium severity rating due to the potential information leak.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4486?
To fix CVE-2016-4486, upgrade to a patched version of the Linux kernel, specifically versions 5.10.223-1, 5.10.226-1, 6.1.119-1, 6.1.123-1, 6.12.11-1, or 6.12.12-1.
Which Linux distributions are affected by CVE-2016-4486?
CVE-2016-4486 affects multiple distributions including SUSE Linux Enterprise and Ubuntu versions 12.04, 14.04, and 16.04.
What is the impact of CVE-2016-4486 on users?
The impact of CVE-2016-4486 is that it may allow unauthorized access to sensitive information through the rtnetlink subsystem.
Is CVE-2016-4486 related to the Linux kernel?
Yes, CVE-2016-4486 is a vulnerability found in the rtnetlink subsystem of the Linux kernel.