1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-3509-2

USN-3509-2: Linux kernel (Xenial HWE) vulnerabilities

Publication date

7 December 2017

Overview

Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

Releases

Packages

  • linux-aws - Linux kernel for Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems
  • linux-lts-xenial - Linux hardware enablement kernel from Xenial for Trusty

Details

USN-3509-1 fixed vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel for Ubuntu 16.04
LTS. This update provides the corresponding updates for the Linux
Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS for Ubuntu
14.04 LTS.

Mohamed Ghannam discovered that a use-after-free vulnerability existed in
the Netlink subsystem (XFRM) in the Linux kernel. A local attacker could
use this to cause a denial of service (system crash) or possibly execute
arbitrary code. (CVE-2017-16939)

It was discovered that the Linux kernel did not properly handle copy-on-
write of transparent huge pages. A local attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (application crashes) or possibly gain administrative
privileges. (CVE-2017-1000405)

Fan Wu, Haoran Qiu, and Shixiong Zhao discovered that the associative array
implementation in the Linux kernel sometimes did not...

USN-3509-1 fixed vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel for Ubuntu 16.04
LTS. This update provides the corresponding updates for the Linux
Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS for Ubuntu
14.04 LTS.

Mohamed Ghannam discovered that a use-after-free vulnerability existed in
the Netlink subsystem (XFRM) in the Linux kernel. A local attacker could
use this to cause a denial of service (system crash) or possibly execute
arbitrary code. (CVE-2017-16939)

It was discovered that the Linux kernel did not properly handle copy-on-
write of transparent huge pages. A local attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (application crashes) or possibly gain administrative
privileges. (CVE-2017-1000405)

Fan Wu, Haoran Qiu, and Shixiong Zhao discovered that the associative array
implementation in the Linux kernel sometimes did not properly handle adding
a new entry. A local attacker could use this to cause a denial of service
(system crash). (CVE-2017-12193)

Andrey Konovalov discovered an out-of-bounds read in the GTCO digitizer USB
driver for the Linux kernel. A physically proximate attacker could use this
to cause a denial of service (system crash) or possibly execute arbitrary
code. (CVE-2017-16643)

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. Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages (e.g. linux-generic, linux-generic-lts-RELEASE, linux-virtual, 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
14.04 trusty linux-image-4.4.0-1005-aws –  4.4.0-1005.5
linux-image-4.4.0-103-generic –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-generic-lpae –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-lowlatency –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-powerpc-e500mc –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-powerpc-smp –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-powerpc64-emb –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1
linux-image-4.4.0-103-powerpc64-smp –  4.4.0-103.126~14.04.1

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References

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