Issued:
2011-12-06
Updated:
2011-12-06

RHSA-2011:1530 - Moderate: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 kernel security, bug fix and enhancement update

Synopsis

Moderate: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 kernel security, bug fix and enhancement update

Type/Severity

Security Advisory Moderate

Topic

Updated kernel packages that fix multiple security issues, address several hundred bugs and add numerous enhancements are now available as part of the ongoing support and maintenance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 6. This is the second regular update.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Description

The kernel packages contain the Linux kernel, the core of any Linux operating system.

This update fixes the following security issues:

  • The proc file system could allow a local, unprivileged user to obtain sensitive information or possibly cause integrity issues. (CVE-2011-1020, Moderate)

  • Non-member VLAN (virtual LAN) packet handling for interfaces in promiscuous mode and also using the be2net driver could allow an attacker on the local network to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2011-3347, Moderate)

  • A flaw was found in the Linux kernel in the way splitting two extents in ext4_ext_convert_to_initialized() worked. A local, unprivileged user with access to mount and unmount ext4 file systems could use this flaw to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2011-3638, Moderate)

  • A NULL pointer dereference flaw was found in the way the Linux kernel's key management facility handled user-defined key types. A local, unprivileged user could use the keyctl utility to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2011-4110, Moderate)

Red Hat would like to thank Kees Cook for reporting CVE-2011-1020; Somnath Kotur for reporting CVE-2011-3347; and Zheng Liu for reporting CVE-2011-3638.

This update also fixes several hundred bugs and adds enhancements. Refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 Release Notes for information on the most significant of these changes, and the Technical Notes for further information, both linked to in the References.

All Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 users are advised to install these updated packages, which correct these issues, and fix the bugs and add the enhancements noted in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 Release Notes and Technical Notes. The system must be rebooted for this update to take effect.

Solution

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

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at This content is not included.https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11259

To install kernel packages manually, use "rpm -ivh [package]". Do not use "rpm -Uvh" as that will remove the running kernel binaries from your system. You may use "rpm -e" to remove old kernels after determining that the new kernel functions properly on your system.

Affected Products

ProductVersionArch
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Scientific Computing6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian6ppc64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems6s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Retired Extended Life Cycle Support6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support Extension (for IBM z Systems)6s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Life Cycle Support (for IBM z Systems)6s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop6i386

Updated Packages

  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-i686-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-doc-2.6.32-220.el6.noarch.rpm
  • python-perf-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • python-perf-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-firmware-2.6.32-220.el6.noarch.rpm
  • kernel-bootwrapper-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • python-perf-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • python-perf-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64-2.6.32-220.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-220.el6.src.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-devel-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-220.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-220.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64-2.6.32-220.el6.x86_64.rpm

Fixes

CVEs

References

Additional information