USN-2645-1: Linux kernel (Vivid HWE) vulnerability
Published Jun 15, 2015
·Updated
Philip Pettersson discovered a privilege escalation when using overlayfs mounts inside of user namespaces. A local user could exploit this flaw to gain administrative privileges on the system.
Affected Software
14 affected componentsFixes available
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-generic<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-generic-lpae<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-lowlatency<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-powerpc-e500mc<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-powerpc-smp<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-powerpc64-emb<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
All of the following
ubuntu/linux-image-3.19.0-21-powerpc64-smp<3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1
Ubuntu Ubuntu=14.04
Event History
Jun 15, 2015
Advisory Published
via Ubuntu·12:00 AM
Frequently Asked Questions
1
What is the severity of USN-2645-1?
The severity of USN-2645-1 is considered critical due to the potential for privilege escalation.
2
How do I fix USN-2645-1?
To fix USN-2645-1, you should upgrade to the linux-image-3.19.0-21.21~14.04.1 or later version on your Ubuntu 14.04 system.
3
What systems are affected by USN-2645-1?
USN-2645-1 affects Ubuntu 14.04 systems running the specific linux-image packages mentioned in the advisory.
4
What could an attacker do by exploiting USN-2645-1?
An attacker exploiting USN-2645-1 could gain unauthorized administrative privileges on the affected system.
5
Who discovered the vulnerability in USN-2645-1?
The vulnerability in USN-2645-1 was discovered by researcher Philip Pettersson.