1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-2583-1

USN-2583-1: Linux kernel vulnerability

Publication date

30 April 2015

Overview

The system could be made to run programs as an administrator.

Releases

Packages

Details

A race condition between chown() and execve() was discovered in the Linux
kernel. A local attacker could exploit this race by using chown on a
setuid-user-binary to gain administrative privileges.

A race condition between chown() and execve() was discovered in the Linux
kernel. A local attacker could exploit this race by using chown on a
setuid-user-binary to gain administrative privileges.

Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

ATTENTION: Due to an unavoidable ABI change the kernel updates have been given a new version number, which requires you to recompile and reinstall all third party kernel modules you might have installed. If you use linux-restricted-modules, you have to update that package as well to get modules which work with the new kernel version. Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages (e.g. linux-generic, linux-server, linux-powerpc), a standard system upgrade will automatically perform this as well.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
10.04 lucid linux-image-2.6.32-74-powerpc –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-386 –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-sparc64 –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-generic-pae –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-preempt –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-lpia –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-sparc64-smp –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-powerpc64-smp –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-versatile –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-generic –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-ia64 –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-server –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-powerpc-smp –  2.6.32-74.142
linux-image-2.6.32-74-virtual –  2.6.32-74.142

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References

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