CVE-2020-12656: Medium severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability
DISPUTED gssmechfree in net/sunrpc/authgss/gssmechswitch.c in the rpcsecgsskrb5 implementation in the Linux kernel through 5.6.10 lacks certain domainrelease calls, leading to a memory leak. Note: This was disputed with the assertion that the issue does not grant any access not already available. It is a problem that on unloading a specific kernel module some memory is leaked, but loading kernel modules is a privileged operation. A user could also write a kernel module to consume any amount of memory they like and load that replicating the effect of this bug.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto 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 - Upgrade
Upgrade
Linux kernel (net/sunrpc/auth_gss/gss_mech_switch.c rpcsec_gss_krb5 implementation)to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.6.10 - Compensating control
Limit the ability for untrusted users to load kernel modules (since loading kernel modules is a privileged operation that could replicate the memory-consumption effect).
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2020-12656?
CVE-2020-12656 is considered a medium severity vulnerability due to the potential for memory leaks.
What systems are affected by CVE-2020-12656?
CVE-2020-12656 affects Linux Kernel versions up to 5.6.10 and specific versions of Ubuntu and openSUSE.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12656?
To fix CVE-2020-12656, upgrade to a patched version of the Linux Kernel or the relevant operating system package.
Is there any exploit for CVE-2020-12656?
CVE-2020-12656 does not grant new access but may lead to resource exhaustion due to a memory leak.
What is the impact of CVE-2020-12656?
The impact of CVE-2020-12656 includes potential denial of service caused by memory leaks affecting system stability.