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hß · SecurityCurated

New Linux kernels close security holes

Summary

In August 2006 new Linux kernels of the 2.4.33, 2.6.16 and 2.6.17 series appeared that closed security holes. A bug in the SCTP function sctp_make_abort_user allowed logged-in attackers to execute code with higher privileges. A UDF bug crashed the system and had not yet been fixed in 2.4.33.

Ideas

  • Rarely used protocols such as SCTP still bring attack surface into the kernel.
  • File system code can also crash the entire system.
  • Fixes for older kernel series sometimes arrive later than for newer ones.

Insights

  • Every loaded kernel module extends the attack surface, even if nobody uses it deliberately.
  • Older kernel series receive security fixes with a delay.

Facts

  • The UDF bug affected all three series and was initially not fixed in 2.4.33.

References

Critique

  • The report does not say whether the SCTP module is loaded automatically, and thus how many systems were really affected.

Recommendations

  • Disable or block kernel modules for protocols you do not use, such as SCTP.
  • Apply kernel updates promptly on systems with local users.

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