Issued:
2012-12-18
Updated:
2012-12-18

RHSA-2012:1589 - Low: kernel security and bug fix update

Synopsis

Low: kernel security and bug fix update

Type/Severity

Security Advisory Low

Topic

Updated kernel packages that fix one security issue and one bug are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 Extended Update Support.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having low security impact. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available from the CVE link 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 issue:

  • A flaw was found in the way the Linux kernel's dl2k driver, used by certain D-Link Gigabit Ethernet adapters, restricted IOCTLs. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to issue potentially harmful IOCTLs, which could cause Ethernet adapters using the dl2k driver to malfunction (for example, losing network connectivity). (CVE-2012-2313, Low)

Red Hat would like to thank Stephan Mueller for reporting this issue.

This update also fixes the following bug:

  • The kernel allows high priority real time tasks, such as tasks scheduled with the SCHED_FIFO policy, to be throttled. Previously, the CPU stop tasks were scheduled as high priority real time tasks and could be thus throttled accordingly. However, the replenishment timer, which is responsible for clearing a throttle flag on tasks, could be pending on the just disabled CPU. This could lead to the situation that the throttled tasks were never scheduled to run. Consequently, if any of such tasks was needed to complete the CPU disabling, the system became unresponsive. This update introduces a new scheduler class, which gives a task the highest possible system priority and such a task cannot be throttled. The stop-task scheduling class is now used for the CPU stop tasks, and the system shutdown completes as expected in the scenario described. (BZ#876077)

Users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues. 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 https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/articles/11258

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 Virtual Storage Appliance (from RHUI)6.1x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support6.1x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support6.1i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian - Extended Update Support6.1ppc64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems - Extended Update Support6.1s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Update Support from RHUI6.1x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Update Support from RHUI6.1i386

Updated Packages

  • kernel-doc-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.noarch.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • perf-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.src.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-i686-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debuginfo-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-bootwrapper-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • perf-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.i686.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-firmware-2.6.32-131.36.1.el6.noarch.rpm

Fixes

CVEs

References

Additional information