USN-6417-1: Linux kernel vulnerabilities

4 October 2023

Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

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Packages

Details

It was discovered that the eBPF implementation in the Linux kernel
contained a race condition around read-only maps. A privileged attacker
could use this to modify read-only maps. (CVE-2021-4001)

It was discovered that the IPv6 implementation in the Linux kernel
contained a high rate of hash collisions in connection lookup table. A
remote attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (excessive CPU
consumption). (CVE-2023-1206)

Yang Lan discovered that the GFS2 file system implementation in the Linux
kernel could attempt to dereference a null pointer in some situations. An
attacker could use this to construct a malicious GFS2 image that, when
mounted and operated on, could cause a denial of service (system crash).
(CVE-2023-3212)

Davide Ornaghi discovered that the DECnet network protocol implementation
in the Linux kernel contained a null pointer dereference vulnerability. A
remote attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (system crash)
or possibly execute arbitrary code. Please note that kernel support for the
DECnet has been removed to resolve this CVE. (CVE-2023-3338)

It was discovered that the NFC implementation in the Linux kernel contained
a use-after-free vulnerability when performing peer-to-peer communication
in certain conditions. A privileged attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (system crash) or possibly expose sensitive information
(kernel memory). (CVE-2023-3863)

It was discovered that the TUN/TAP driver in the Linux kernel did not
properly initialize socket data. A local attacker could use this to cause a
denial of service (system crash). (CVE-2023-4194)

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Update instructions

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu 20.04
Ubuntu 18.04

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make
all the necessary changes.

ATTENTION: Due to an unavoidable ABI change the kernel updates have
been given a new version number, which requires you to recompile and
reinstall all third party kernel modules you might have installed.
Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages
(e.g. linux-generic, linux-generic-lts-RELEASE, linux-virtual,
linux-powerpc), a standard system upgrade will automatically perform
this as well.

References

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