Issued:
2004-12-13
Updated:
2004-12-13

RHSA-2004:505 - Updated kernel packages fix security vulnerability

Synopsis

Updated kernel packages fix security vulnerability

Type/Severity

Security Advisory Important

Topic

Updated kernel packages are now available as part of ongoing support and maintenance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 2.1. This is the sixth regular update.

Description

The Linux kernel handles the basic functions of the operating system.

This is the sixth regular kernel update to Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 2.1. It updates a number of device drivers, and adds much improved SATA support.

This update includes fixes for several security issues:

Paul Starzetz of iSEC discovered various flaws in the ELF binary loader affecting kernels prior to 2.4.28. A local user could use these flaws to gain read access to executable-only binaries or possibly gain privileges. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the names CAN-2004-1070, CAN-2004-1071, CAN-2004-1072, and CAN-2004-1073 to these issues.

A missing serialization flaw in unix_dgram_recvmsg was discovered that affects kernels prior to 2.4.28. A local user could potentially make use of a race condition in order to gain privileges. (CAN-2004-1068)

Stefan Esser discovered various flaws including buffer overflows in the smbfs driver affecting kernels before 2.4.28. A local user may be able to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly gain privileges. In order to exploit these flaws the user would need to have control of a connected smb server. (CAN-2004-0883, CAN-2004-0949)

Conectiva discovered flaws in certain USB drivers affecting kernels before 2.4.27 which used the copy_to_user function on uninitialized structures. These flaws could allow local users to read small amounts of kernel memory. (CAN-2004-0685)

The ext3 code in kernels before 2.4.26 did not properly initialize journal descriptor blocks. A privileged local user could read portions of kernel memory. (CAN-2004-0177)

The following drivers have also been updated:

  • tg3 v3.10
  • e1000 v5.3.19-k2
  • e100 v3.0.27-k2
  • megaraid
  • megaraid2 v2.10.8.2

All Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 users are advised to upgrade their kernels to the packages associated with their machine architectures and configurations as listed in this erratum.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied.

To update all RPMs for your particular architecture, run:

rpm -Fvh [filenames]

where [filenames] is a list of the RPMs you wish to upgrade. Only those RPMs which are currently installed will be updated. Those RPMs which are not installed but included in the list will not be updated. Note that you can also use wildcards (*.rpm) if your current directory only contains the desired RPMs.

Please note that this update is also available via Red Hat Network. Many people find this an easier way to apply updates. To use Red Hat Network, launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command:

up2date

This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate RPMs being upgraded on your system.

If up2date fails to connect to Red Hat Network due to SSL Certificate Errors, you need to install a version of the up2date client with an updated certificate. The latest version of up2date is available from the Red Hat FTP site and may also be downloaded directly from the RHN website:

This content is not included.https://rhn.redhat.com/help/latest-up2date.pxt

Affected Products

ProductVersionArch
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation2i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server2i386

Updated Packages

  • kernel-BOOT-2.4.9-e.57.i386.rpm
  • kernel-2.4.9-e.57.athlon.rpm
  • kernel-2.4.9-e.57.i686.rpm
  • kernel-source-2.4.9-e.57.i386.rpm
  • kernel-doc-2.4.9-e.57.i386.rpm
  • kernel-summit-2.4.9-e.57.i686.rpm
  • kernel-smp-2.4.9-e.57.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.4.9-e.57.i686.rpm
  • kernel-smp-2.4.9-e.57.athlon.rpm
  • kernel-enterprise-2.4.9-e.57.i686.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.4.9-e.57.i386.rpm

Fixes

CVEs

References

(none)

Additional information