--- title: "CVE-2016-2550\n | Ubuntu" description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things. url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2550?format=md keywords: index, follow --- # CVE-2016-2550 Publication date 24 February 2016 Last updated 4 July 2026 --- Ubuntu priority **Medium** [Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority ) ## Cvss 3 Severity Score **5.5 · Medium** [Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2550?format=md#impact-score) Toggle side navigation ## Description The Linux kernel before 4.5 allows local users to bypass file-descriptor limits and cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by leveraging incorrect tracking of descriptor ownership and sending each descriptor over a UNIX socket before closing it. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2013-4312. ### From the Ubuntu Security Team David Herrmann discovered that the Linux kernel incorrectly accounted file descriptors to the original opener for in-flight file descriptors sent over a unix domain socket. A local attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (resource exhaustion). [Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2550?format=md#notes) ## Status Show unmaintained releases | Package | Ubuntu Release | Status | | --- | --- | --- | | linux | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 15.10 wily | Fixed 4.2.0-35.40 | | 15.04 vivid | Fixed 3.19.0-58.64 | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 3.13.0-85.129 | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected | | linux-armadaxp | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected | | linux-aws | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-flo | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-gke | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-goldfish | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-grouper | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-hwe | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-hwe-edge | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-linaro-omap | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-linaro-shared | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-linaro-vexpress | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-lts-quantal | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-lts-raring | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-lts-saucy | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-lts-trusty | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Fixed 3.13.0-85.129~precise1 | | linux-lts-utopic | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 3.16.0-69.89~14.04.1 | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-lts-vivid | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 3.19.0-58.64~14.04.1 | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-lts-wily | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 4.2.0-35.40~14.04.1 | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-lts-xenial | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-maguro | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-mako | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-manta | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not affected | | 15.04 vivid | Not affected | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-qcm-msm | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life | | linux-raspi2 | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 15.10 wily | Fixed 4.2.0-1028.36 | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-snapdragon | 16.10 yakkety | Not affected | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not in release | | linux-ti-omap4 | 16.10 yakkety | Not in release | | 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | | 15.10 wily | Not in release | | 15.04 vivid | Not in release | | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | | 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected | --- * [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security) * [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses) * [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-2550?format=md#patch-details) ## Notes --- ### [jdstrand](https://launchpad.net/~jdstrand) android kernels (flo, goldfish, grouper, maguro, mako and manta) are not supported on the Ubuntu Touch 14.10 and earlier preview kernels linux-lts-saucy no longer receives official support linux-lts-quantal no longer receives official support ### Patch details For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security) | Package | Patch details | | --- | --- | | linux | * Introduced by [712f4aa](https://git.kernel.org/linus/712f4aad406bb1ed67f3f98d04c044191f0ff593), fixed by [415e3d3](https://git.kernel.org/linus/415e3d3e90ce9e18727e8843ae343eda5a58fad6) | ## Severity score breakdown CVSS version: CVSS v3.0 **Base score** 5.5 · Medium * Base metrics | Parameter | Value | | --- | --- | | Attack vector | Local | | Attack complexity | Low | | Privileges required | Low | | User interaction | None | | Scope | Unchanged | | Confidentiality impact | None | | Integrity impact | None | | Availability impact | High | * Scores | Parameter | Value | | --- | --- | | Base score | 5.5 · Medium | | Exploitability score | - | | Impact score | - | **Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H ## References * [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-2550) * [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-2550) * [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2016-2550) * [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-2550) ### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) + [USN-2947-3](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2947-3) + Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi 2) vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2947-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2947-1) + Linux kernel vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2948-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2948-1) + Linux kernel (Utopic HWE) vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2946-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2946-1) + Linux kernel vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2946-2](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2946-2) + Linux kernel (Trusty HWE) vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2947-2](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2947-2) + Linux kernel (Wily HWE) vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 + [USN-2949-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2949-1) + Linux kernel (Vivid HWE) vulnerabilities + 6 April 2016 ### Other references * * *