(RHSA-2010:0711) Important: kernel security update

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

This update fixes the following security issue:

• The compat_alloc_user_space() function in the Linux kernel 32/64-bit
  compatibility layer implementation was missing sanity checks. This function
  could be abused in other areas of the Linux kernel if its length argument
  can be controlled from user-space. On 64-bit systems, a local, unprivileged
  user could use this flaw to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2010-3081,
  Important)

Red Hat would like to thank Ben Hawkes for reporting this issue.

Red Hat is aware that a public exploit for this issue is available. Refer
to Knowledgebase article DOC-40265 for further details:
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-40265

Users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain a backported
patch to correct this issue. The system must be rebooted for this update to
take effect.