CVE-2014-8559

Published: 10 November 2014

The d_walk function in fs/dcache.c in the Linux kernel through 3.17.2 does not properly maintain the semantics of rename_lock, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (deadlock and system hang) via a crafted application.

From the Ubuntu Security Team

A flaw was discovered with file renaming in the linux kernel. A local user could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (deadlock and system hang).

Notes

android kernels (flo, goldfish, grouper, maguro, mako and manta) are
not supported on the Ubuntu Touch 14.04 preview kernels
linux-lts-saucy no longer receives official support
linux-lts-quantal no longer receives official support
"See vfs.git#experimental-d_walk - the first commit there moves
d_rcu from d_child to d_alias, the second is basically "skip the killed
siblings rather than restarting the tree walk"

Status

Severity score breakdown

References

• https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-8559
• https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/10/25/171
• https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/10/26/129
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2492-1
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2493-1
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2515-1
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2516-1
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2517-1
• https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-2518-1
• NVD
• Launchpad
• Debian

Bugs

• https://launchpad.net/bugs/1388975