The ptrace_start function in kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 does not properly handle simultaneous execution of the do_coredump function, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (deadlock) via vectors involving the ptrace system call and a coredumping thread.
The product does not properly acquire or release a lock on a resource, leading to unexpected resource state changes and behaviors.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux_kernel | Linux | 2.6.18 (including) | 2.6.18 (including) |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | RedHat | kernel-0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3.Z - Server Only | RedHat | kernel-0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 | * |
Locking is a type of synchronization behavior that ensures that multiple independently-operating processes or threads do not interfere with each other when accessing the same resource. All processes/threads are expected to follow the same steps for locking. If these steps are not followed precisely - or if no locking is done at all - then another process/thread could modify the shared resource in a way that is not visible or predictable to the original process. This can lead to data or memory corruption, denial of service, etc.