CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2011-1593

Integer Overflow or Wraparound

Published: May 03, 2011 | Modified: Feb 13, 2023
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
4.9 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
RedHat/V2
4.7 MODERATE
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM

Multiple integer overflows in the next_pidmap function in kernel/pid.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.38.4 allow local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) via a crafted (1) getdents or (2) readdir system call.

Weakness

The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound, when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This can introduce other weaknesses when the calculation is used for resource management or execution control.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Linux_kernel Linux * 2.6.38.4 (excluding)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RedHat kernel-0:2.6.18-238.19.1.el5 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 RedHat kernel-0:2.6.32-131.12.1.el6 *
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 RedHat kernel-rt-0:2.6.33.9-rt31.75.el6rt *
Linux Ubuntu hardy *
Linux Ubuntu lucid *
Linux Ubuntu maverick *
Linux Ubuntu natty *
Linux Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-ec2 Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-ec2 Ubuntu maverick *
Linux-ec2 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-fsl-imx51 Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-fsl-imx51 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-backport-maverick Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-lts-backport-maverick Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-backport-natty Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-mvl-dove Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-mvl-dove Ubuntu maverick *
Linux-mvl-dove Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-source-2.6.15 Ubuntu dapper *
Linux-source-2.6.15 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu maverick *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu natty *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu upstream *

Potential Mitigations

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
  • If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
  • Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences.
  • Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++). [REF-106]
  • Perform input validation on any numeric input by ensuring that it is within the expected range. Enforce that the input meets both the minimum and maximum requirements for the expected range.
  • Use unsigned integers where possible. This makes it easier to perform validation for integer overflows. When signed integers are required, ensure that the range check includes minimum values as well as maximum values.
  • Understand the programming language’s underlying representation and how it interacts with numeric calculation (CWE-681). Pay close attention to byte size discrepancies, precision, signed/unsigned distinctions, truncation, conversion and casting between types, “not-a-number” calculations, and how the language handles numbers that are too large or too small for its underlying representation. [REF-7]
  • Also be careful to account for 32-bit, 64-bit, and other potential differences that may affect the numeric representation.

References