CVE-2019-20908
First published: Mon Aug 19 2019(Updated: )
A flaw was found in how the ACPI table loading through the EFI variable (and the related efivar_ssdt boot option) was handled when the Linux kernel was locked down. This flaw allows a (root) privileged local user to circumvent the kernel lockdown restrictions. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
Credit: cve@mitre.org
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| redhat/kernel-rt | <0:4.18.0-193.14.3.rt13.67.el8_2 | 0:4.18.0-193.14.3.rt13.67.el8_2 |
| redhat/kernel | <0:4.18.0-193.14.3.el8_2 | 0:4.18.0-193.14.3.el8_2 |
| redhat/kernel | <0:4.18.0-80.27.2.el8_0 | 0:4.18.0-80.27.2.el8_0 |
| redhat/kernel | <0:4.18.0-147.24.2.el8_1 | 0:4.18.0-147.24.2.el8_1 |
| Linux Kernel | <5.4 | |
| SUSE Linux | =15.1 | |
| Ubuntu | =16.04 | |
| Ubuntu | =18.04 | |
| debian/linux | 5.10.223-1 5.10.234-1 6.1.123-1 6.1.128-1 6.12.12-1 6.12.17-1 |
Remedy
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
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Reference Links
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-20908 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-20908 https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=1957a85b0032a81e6482ca4aab883643b8dae06e https://git.zx2c4.com/american-unsigned-language/tree/american-unsigned-language.sh https://lore.kernel.org/linux-efi/20200615202408.2242614-1-pjones@redhat.com/ https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/14/1
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1852942
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:3219
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:3218
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:3228
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:3222
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2019-20908
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-08/msg00009.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/20/6
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/29/3
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/30/2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/30/3
- https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.4
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=1957a85b0032a81e6482ca4aab883643b8dae06e
- https://git.zx2c4.com/american-unsigned-language/tree/american-unsigned-language.sh
- https://mailarchives.bentasker.co.uk/Mirrors/OSSSec/2020/06-Jun/msg00035.html
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4426-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4427-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4439-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4440-1/
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2019-20908
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1852944
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/06/14/1
- https://lore.kernel.org/linux-efi/20200615202408.2242614-1-pjones@redhat.com/
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=1857859
- https://git.kernel.org/linus/1957a85b0032a81e6482ca4aab883643b8dae06e
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2019-20908
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2019-20908
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-20908
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-20908
Parent vulnerabilities
(Appears in the following advisories)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2019-20908?
CVE-2019-20908 is considered a high-severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow a privileged local user to bypass kernel lockdown restrictions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-20908?
To fix CVE-2019-20908, update to the latest versions of the kernel, specifically versions 0:4.18.0-193.14.3.rt13.67.el8_2 for Red Hat or the corresponding patched versions for Ubuntu and Debian.
Who is affected by CVE-2019-20908?
CVE-2019-20908 affects users of the Linux kernel, particularly those running specific vulnerable versions across various distributions such as Red Hat, Ubuntu, and openSUSE.
What are the common symptoms of CVE-2019-20908 exploitation?
There may be no visible symptoms for CVE-2019-20908 exploitation, as it allows unauthorized access to kernel functions when the system is running in a locked state.
Can CVE-2019-20908 be exploited remotely?
CVE-2019-20908 cannot be exploited remotely; it requires local root privileges to circumvent kernel lockdown protections.
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