CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2013-2851

Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

Published: Jun 07, 2013 | Modified: Nov 07, 2023
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
6 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
RedHat/V2
6 LOW
AV:L/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM

Format string vulnerability in the register_disk function in block/genhd.c in the Linux kernel through 3.9.4 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging root access and writing format string specifiers to /sys/module/md_mod/parameters/new_array in order to create a crafted /dev/md device name.

Weakness

The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Linux_kernel Linux * 3.9.4 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc1 (including) 3.9-rc1 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc2 (including) 3.9-rc2 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc3 (including) 3.9-rc3 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc4 (including) 3.9-rc4 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc5 (including) 3.9-rc5 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc6 (including) 3.9-rc6 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9-rc7 (including) 3.9-rc7 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9.0 (including) 3.9.0 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9.1 (including) 3.9.1 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9.2 (including) 3.9.2 (including)
Linux_kernel Linux 3.9.3 (including) 3.9.3 (including)
Linux Ubuntu lucid *
Linux Ubuntu precise *
Linux Ubuntu quantal *
Linux Ubuntu raring *
Linux Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-armadaxp Ubuntu precise *
Linux-armadaxp Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-armadaxp Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-aws Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-ec2 Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-ec2 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-flo Ubuntu esm-apps/xenial *
Linux-flo Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-flo Ubuntu trusty/esm *
Linux-flo Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-flo Ubuntu utopic *
Linux-flo Ubuntu vivid *
Linux-flo Ubuntu vivid/stable-phone-overlay *
Linux-flo Ubuntu wily *
Linux-flo Ubuntu xenial *
Linux-flo Ubuntu yakkety *
Linux-fsl-imx51 Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-fsl-imx51 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-gke Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-goldfish Ubuntu saucy *
Linux-goldfish Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-goldfish Ubuntu trusty/esm *
Linux-goldfish Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-grouper Ubuntu saucy *
Linux-grouper Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-grouper Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-grouper Ubuntu utopic *
Linux-hwe Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-hwe-edge Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-linaro-omap Ubuntu precise *
Linux-linaro-omap Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-linaro-omap Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-linaro-shared Ubuntu precise *
Linux-linaro-shared Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-linaro-shared Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-linaro-vexpress Ubuntu precise *
Linux-linaro-vexpress Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-linaro-vexpress Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-backport-maverick Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-lts-backport-maverick Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-quantal Ubuntu precise *
Linux-lts-quantal Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-raring Ubuntu precise *
Linux-lts-raring Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-trusty Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-utopic Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-vivid Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-wily Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-lts-xenial Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-maguro Ubuntu saucy *
Linux-maguro Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-maguro Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-mako Ubuntu esm-apps/xenial *
Linux-mako Ubuntu saucy *
Linux-mako Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-mako Ubuntu trusty/esm *
Linux-mako Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-mako Ubuntu utopic *
Linux-mako Ubuntu vivid *
Linux-mako Ubuntu vivid/stable-phone-overlay *
Linux-mako Ubuntu wily *
Linux-mako Ubuntu xenial *
Linux-mako Ubuntu yakkety *
Linux-manta Ubuntu saucy *
Linux-manta Ubuntu trusty *
Linux-manta Ubuntu trusty/esm *
Linux-manta Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-manta Ubuntu utopic *
Linux-manta Ubuntu vivid *
Linux-manta Ubuntu wily *
Linux-mvl-dove Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-mvl-dove Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-qcm-msm Ubuntu lucid *
Linux-qcm-msm Ubuntu precise *
Linux-qcm-msm Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-qcm-msm Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-raspi2 Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-raspi2 Ubuntu vivid/ubuntu-core *
Linux-snapdragon Ubuntu upstream *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu precise *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu quantal *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu raring *
Linux-ti-omap4 Ubuntu upstream *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 RedHat kernel-0:2.6.32-431.el6 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.3 EUS - Server and Compute Node Only RedHat kernel-0:2.6.32-279.39.1.el6 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4 Extended Update Support RedHat kernel-0:2.6.32-358.37.1.el6 *
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 RedHat kernel-rt-0:3.6.11.5-rt37.55.el6rt *

Extended Description

When an attacker can modify an externally-controlled format string, this can lead to buffer overflows, denial of service, or data representation problems. It should be noted that in some circumstances, such as internationalization, the set of format strings is externally controlled by design. If the source of these format strings is trusted (e.g. only contained in library files that are only modifiable by the system administrator), then the external control might not itself pose a vulnerability.

Potential Mitigations

References