CVE-2016-4805: Use After Free

Published May 13, 2016
·
Updated

A use after free vulnerability was found in pppunregisterchannel function. This is triggered when network namespace is removed while pppasync channel is still registered in it and pppunregisterchannel() tries to access its per-netns data in the defunct namespace.

An attacker who could control this memory that is being used in the defunct namespace could create a denial of service by spinlocking a CPU.

An unprivileged local user could use this flaw to induce kernel memory corruption on the system, leading to a crash. Due to the nature of the flaw, privilege escalation cannot be fully ruled out, although we believe it is unlikely.

Upstream patch:

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=1f461dcdd296eecedaffffc6bae2bfa90bd7eb89

CVE request:

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/319

Other sources

Use-after-free vulnerability in drivers/net/ppp/pppgeneric.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5.2 allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and system crash, or spinlock) or possibly have unspecified other impact by removing a network namespace, related to the pppregisternetchannel and pppunregisterchannel functions.

Launchpad

Affected Software

29 affected componentsFixes available
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Module For Public Cloud=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=11.0-sp4
Novell Opensuse Leap=42.1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=11.0-sp4
redhat Enterprise Linux=6.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Linux Linux kernel>=2.6.30<3.2.80
Linux Linux kernel>=3.3<3.10.102
Linux Linux kernel>=3.11<3.12.59
Linux Linux kernel>=3.13<3.14.67
Linux Linux kernel>=3.15<3.16.35
Linux Linux kernel>=3.17<3.18.37
Linux Linux kernel>=3.19<4.1.28
Linux Linux kernel>=4.2<4.4.8
Linux Linux kernel>=4.5<4.5.2
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension=12.0-sp1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=12.0
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop=12.0-sp1
redhat Enterprise Linux=7.0
Oracle Linux=6
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension=11.0-sp4
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server=12.0-sp1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Real Time Extension=12.0-sp1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=12.0-sp1
Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Live Patching=12.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-1

Event History

May 13, 2016
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·09:08 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 23, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:00 AM
Description
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:19 PM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Mar 31, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·03:29 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID for this use-after-free vulnerability?

CVE-2016-4805

2

What is the severity level of CVE-2016-4805?

The severity level of CVE-2016-4805 is low.

3

How can the use-after-free vulnerability in Linux kernel before 4.5.2 impact my system?

The use-after-free vulnerability can cause a denial of service (memory corruption and system crash) or possibly have other unspecified impacts.

4

Is there a fix available for CVE-2016-4805?

Yes, upgrading to Linux kernel version 4.5.2 or later can fix the vulnerability.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2016-4805?

You can find more information about CVE-2016-4805 in the references: https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=1f461dcdd296eecedaffffc6bae2bfa90bd7eb89, http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/319, https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1335804.

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