CVE-2020-11494: Medium severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability

Published Apr 2, 2020
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in slcbump in drivers/net/can/slcan.c in the Linux kernel 3.16 through 5.6.2. It allows attackers to read uninitialized canframe data, potentially containing sensitive information from kernel stack memory, if the configuration lacks CONFIGINITSTACKALL, aka CID-b9258a2cece4.

Affected Software

9 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>=3.16<=5.6.2
openSUSE Leap=15.1
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=19.10
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.262-16.1.176-16.1.180-16.12.94-16.12.101-17.1.8-17.1.8-2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. 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 7.1.8-1Fixed in 7.1.8-2
  2. Compensating control

    Ensure the system is built with CONFIG_INIT_STACK_ALL enabled to prevent reading uninitialized can_frame data in slc_bump (drivers/net/can/slcan.c) affecting Linux kernel versions 3.16 through 5.6.2.

Event History

Apr 2, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:14 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:14 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:36 PM
Description
Aug 14, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:30 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 16, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:33 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2020-11494?

CVE-2020-11494 is considered a security vulnerability that could potentially expose sensitive information.

2

How do I fix CVE-2020-11494?

To fix CVE-2020-11494, update the Linux kernel to a version newer than 5.6.2 or apply the recommended patches.

3

Which Linux distributions are affected by CVE-2020-11494?

CVE-2020-11494 affects Linux kernel versions from 3.16 to 5.6.2, impacting distributions such as openSUSE, Debian, and Ubuntu.

4

Can CVE-2020-11494 lead to data leakage?

Yes, CVE-2020-11494 allows attackers to read uninitialized can_frame data, which may contain sensitive information.

5

What specific kernel configuration is related to CVE-2020-11494?

CVE-2020-11494 is related to the lack of CONFIG_INIT_STACK_ALL in the kernel configuration.

Contact

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