Advisory Published

USN-2420-1: Linux kernel vulnerabilities

First published: Tue Nov 25 2014(Updated: )

A flaw was discovered in how the Linux kernel's KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) subsystem handles the CR4 control register at VM entry on Intel processors. A local host OS user can exploit this to cause a denial of service (kill arbitrary processes, or system disruption) by leveraging /dev/kvm access. (CVE-2014-3690) Don Bailey discovered a flaw in the LZO decompress algorithm used by the Linux kernel. An attacker could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (memory corruption or OOPS). (CVE-2014-4608) Andy Lutomirski discovered a flaw in how the Linux kernel handles pivot_root when used with a chroot directory. A local user could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (mount-tree loop). (CVE-2014-7970) Andy Lutomirski discovered that the Linux kernel was not checking the CAP_SYS_ADMIN when remounting filesystems to read-only. A local user could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (loss of writability). (CVE-2014-7975)

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-generic<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-generic-lpae<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-lowlatency<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-powerpc-e500<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-powerpc-e500mc<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-powerpc-smp<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-powerpc64-emb<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04
All of
ubuntu/linux-image-3.13.0-40-powerpc64-smp<3.13.0-40.69
3.13.0-40.69
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS=14.04

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Reference Links

Child vulnerabilities

(Contains the following vulnerabilities)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of USN-2420-1?

    USN-2420-1 is classified as a denial of service vulnerability that can disrupt system operations.

  • How do I fix USN-2420-1?

    To mitigate USN-2420-1, upgrade to the Linux kernel version 3.13.0-40.69 on Ubuntu 14.04.

  • What systems are affected by USN-2420-1?

    USN-2420-1 affects Ubuntu 14.04 systems using the Linux kernel version prior to 3.13.0-40.69.

  • Who can exploit USN-2420-1?

    USN-2420-1 can be exploited by local host OS users with access to the virtual machine.

  • What should I monitor for regarding USN-2420-1?

    Monitor your systems for unusual process terminations or system disruptions that may indicate exploitation of USN-2420-1.

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