PRE-CERT Security Advisory

• Advisory: PRE-SA-2011-03
• Released on: 13 Apr 2011
• Last updated on: 13 Apr 2011
• Affected product: Linux Kernel 2.4 and 2.6
• Impact: denial-of-service
• Origin: storage devices
• Credit: Timo Warns (PRESENSE Technologies GmbH)
• CVE Identifier: CVE-2011-1577

Summary

The Linux kernel contains a vulnerability that may lead to
a denial-of-service due to corrupted partition tables on storage
devices.

The kernel automatically evaluates partition tables of storage devices.
This happens independently of whether any auto-mounting is enabled or
not. The code for evaluating EFI GUID partition tables contains a buffer
overflow bug that allows to cause kernel oops resulting in a denial of
service.

Workaround

Compile and use a kernel that does not evaluate EFI GUID partition
tables. The corresponding configuration key is CONFIG_EFI_PARTITION.

Solution

A patch is available at
http://www.spinics.net/lists/mm-commits/msg83274.html

References

When further information becomes available, this advisory will be
updated. The most recent version of this advisory is available at:

http://www.pre-cert.de/advisories/PRE-SA-2011-03.txt

Contact

PRE-CERT can be reached under [email protected]. For PGP key
information, refer to http://www.pre-cert.de/.