CVE-2017-2616: Race Condition
First published: Thu Feb 02 2017(Updated: )
A race condition was found in util-linux before 2.32.1 in the way su handled the management of child processes. A local authenticated attacker could use this flaw to kill other processes with root privileges under specific conditions.
Credit: secalert@redhat.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| debian/coreutils | 8.30-3 8.32-4 9.1-1 | |
| debian/shadow | 1:4.5-1.1 1:4.8.1-1 1:4.13+dfsg1-1 1:4.13+dfsg1-2 1:4.13+dfsg1-3 | |
| debian/util-linux | 2.33.1-0.1 2.36.1-8+deb11u1 2.38.1-5 2.39.2-3 2.39.2-4 | |
| redhat/util-linux | <2.32.1 | 2.32.1 |
| SUSE Util-linux | <2.32.1 | |
| Debian Linux | =8.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop | =6.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop | =7.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =6.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.3 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.4 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.3 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.4 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server | =7.5 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation | =6.0 | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation | =7.0 |
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Reference Links
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-2616
- https://github.com/shadow-maint/shadow/commit/08fd4b69e84364677a10e519ccb25b71710ee686
- https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-shadow/shadow.git/commit/?id=1edacbf
- https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-shadow/shadow.git/commit/?id=bc6cd09
- https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=855943
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0654.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96404
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038271
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0907
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2017-2616
- https://github.com/karelzak/util-linux/commit/dffab154d29a288aa171ff50263ecc8f2e14a891
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201706-02
- https://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3793
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1425714
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1425713
- https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0654.html
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1418710
- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/commit/?id=928dd737
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2017-2616?
CVE-2017-2616 is considered a medium severity vulnerability that allows local authenticated attackers to potentially kill processes with root privileges.
How do I fix CVE-2017-2616?
To fix CVE-2017-2616, you should upgrade to util-linux version 2.32.1 or newer, as well as ensure your coreutils and shadow packages are updated to their respective fixed versions.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2017-2616?
CVE-2017-2616 affects systems using util-linux before version 2.32.1, which includes certain versions in Debian and Red Hat distributions.
Can CVE-2017-2616 be exploited remotely?
No, CVE-2017-2616 can only be exploited locally by authenticated users with access to the system.
Is CVE-2017-2616 related to PAM support in su?
Yes, CVE-2017-2616 is particularly concerning if su is compiled with PAM support, as it allows for greater potential to exploit the vulnerability.
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