CVE-2011-2918

The Performance Events subsystem in the Linux kernel before 3.1 does not properly handle event overflows associated with PERF_COUNT_SW_CPU_CLOCK events, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system hang) via a crafted application.

Weakness

The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:

• The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.

• The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html

References

• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=a8b0ca17b80e92faab46ee7179ba9e99ccb61233
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.1
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/08/16/1
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=730706
• https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/a8b0ca17b80e92faab46ee7179ba9e99ccb61233
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=a8b0ca17b80e92faab46ee7179ba9e99ccb61233
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.1
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/08/16/1
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=730706
• https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/a8b0ca17b80e92faab46ee7179ba9e99ccb61233