CVE-2019-3846: High severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability

Published May 22, 2019
·
Updated

A flaw that allowed an attacker to corrupt memory and possibly escalate privileges was found in the mwifiex kernel module while connecting to a malicious wireless network.

Other sources

A flaw was found in Marvell wifi chip driver in Linux kernel. A heap overflow in mwifiexupdatebssdescwithie function in marvell/mwifiex/scan.c allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service(system crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code.

Upstream patch submission:

https://lore.kernel.org/linux-wireless/20190529125220.17066-1-tiwai@suse.de/

Red Hat

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Marvell wifi chip driver. A heap overflow in mwifiexupdatebssdescwithie function in marvell/mwifiex/scan.c allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service(system crash) or execute arbitrary code.

Affected Software

42 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel-rt<0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.rt56.1027.el7
0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.rt56.1027.el7
redhat/kernel<0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.el7
0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.el7
redhat/kernel-alt<0:4.14.0-115.17.1.el7a
0:4.14.0-115.17.1.el7a
redhat/kernel<0:3.10.0-957.54.1.el7
0:3.10.0-957.54.1.el7
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-80.11.1.rt9.156.el8_0
0:4.18.0-80.11.1.rt9.156.el8_0
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-80.11.1.el8_0
0:4.18.0-80.11.1.el8_0
Linux Linux kernel>=3.0<3.16.70
Linux Linux kernel>=3.17<4.4.186
Linux Linux kernel>=4.5<4.9.186
Linux Linux kernel>=4.10<4.14.134
Linux Linux kernel>=4.15<4.19.59
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20<5.1.18
redhat Enterprise Linux=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=8.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=19.04
NetApp A700s Firmware
NetApp A700s
NetApp Cn1610 Firmware
NetApp Cn1610
NetApp H610s Firmware
NetApp H610s
NetApp Active Iq Unified Manager For Vmware Vsphere>=9.5
NetApp Hci Management Node
NetApp Solidfire
Fedoraproject Fedora=29
Fedoraproject Fedora=30
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
openSUSE Leap=15.0
openSUSE Leap=15.1
openSUSE Leap=42.3
All of the following
NetApp A700s Firmware
NetApp A700s
All of the following
NetApp Cn1610 Firmware
NetApp Cn1610
All of the following
NetApp H610s Firmware
NetApp H610s
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.262-16.1.176-16.1.180-16.12.94-16.12.101-17.1.7-17.1.8-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-rt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.rt56.1027.el7
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:3.10.0-1062.4.1.el7
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-alt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:4.14.0-115.17.1.el7a
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:3.10.0-957.54.1.el7
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel-rt to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:4.18.0-80.11.1.rt9.156.el8_0
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/kernel to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 0:4.18.0-80.11.1.el8_0
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.262-1Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.180-1Fixed in 6.12.94-1Fixed in 6.12.101-1Fixed in 7.1.7-1Fixed in 7.1.8-1
  8. Configuration

    If wireless networking is not used, blacklist the mwifiex kernel module to prevent misuse of the vulnerable code.

    Linux kernel mwifiex module blacklist mwifiex kernel module = enabled
  9. Compensating control

    Temporary mitigation: only connect to known-good Wi-Fi networks, or connect via Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.

Event History

May 22, 2019
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·06:45 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 30, 2019
CVE Published
12:53 PM
Jun 3, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:25 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:25 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:29 PM
Description
Aug 12, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·11:18 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Aug 15, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:18 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2019-3846?

CVE-2019-3846 has been rated as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow privilege escalation.

2

How do I fix CVE-2019-3846?

To fix CVE-2019-3846, update your kernel to the recommended versions specified by your distribution, such as Red Hat or Debian.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2019-3846?

CVE-2019-3846 affects several Linux kernel versions, particularly those using the mwifiex kernel module.

4

Is CVE-2019-3846 a remote attack vulnerability?

Yes, CVE-2019-3846 can be exploited remotely when a user connects to a malicious wireless network.

5

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2019-3846?

CVE-2019-3846 is primarily categorized as a heap overflow vulnerability.

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