PT-2019-4140 · Linux+4 · Linux Kernel+4
Published
2019-03-01
·
Updated
2025-12-26
·
CVE-2019-15666
CVSS v2.0
4.9
Medium
| Vector | AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C |
Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions
Linux kernel versions prior to 5.0.19
Description
The issue is related to an out-of-bounds array access in the
xfrm policy unlink component of the Linux kernel, which can cause a denial of service. This is due to the verify newpolicy info function in net/xfrm/xfrm user.c mishandling directory validation. There have been reports of real-world incidents where this issue was exploited, resulting in the compromise of several large computational clusters in supercomputer centers in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. The attackers exploited the vulnerability to gain root access and install malware for hidden cryptocurrency mining. The estimated number of potentially affected devices worldwide is not specified.Recommendations
For Linux kernel versions prior to 5.0.19, update to version 5.0.19 or later to resolve the issue.
As a temporary workaround, consider restricting access to the
xfrm policy unlink component until a patch is available.
Avoid using the verify newpolicy info function in the affected net/xfrm/xfrm user.c file until the issue is resolved.
At the moment, there is no information about additional mitigation measures.Fix
DoS
Out of bounds Read
Found an issue in the description? Have something to add? Feel free to write us 👾
Weakness Enumeration
Related Identifiers
Affected Products
Alt Linux
Centos
Linux Kernel
Red Hat
Suse