net/core/ethtool.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36 does not initialize certain data structures, which allows local users to obtain potenti
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.39% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: linux-2.6 (Debian:5.0) 2.6.26-26lenny3; kernel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.9-100.EL; kernel-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.9-100.EL.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to linux-2.6 (Debian:5.0) 2.6.26-26lenny3; kernel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.9-100.EL; kernel-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.9-100.EL or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
Follow it and we'll tell you in the daily email digest when the record enters KEV, gets exploit code, is updated (including a fix) or its EPSS rises 20 points in a week. Connect a webhook and KEV listings and weaponized exploits arrive instantly.
Is your version affected? Check itnet/core/ethtool.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36 does not initialize certain data structures, which allows local users to obtain potentially sensitive information from kernel heap memory by leveraging the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability for an ethtool ioctl call.
- Published
- Jul 18, 2011
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 32th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-665
Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| vmware | esx | cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical ubuntu linux8.04
- linux linux kernelbefore 2.6.36
- vmware esx4.0
- vmware esx4.1
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:5.0 | linux-2.6 | before 2.6.26-26lenny3 | 2.6.26-26lenny3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-devel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-doc | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-hugemem | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-hugemem-devel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-largesmp | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-largesmp-devel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-smp | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-smp-devel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-xenU | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | kernel-xenU-devel | before 0:2.6.9-100.EL | 0:2.6.9-100.EL |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-debug | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-debug-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-debug-devel | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-debuginfo-common | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-devel | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-doc | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-headers | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-kdump | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | kernel-kdump-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 | 0:2.6.18-238.5.1.el5 |
+40
Same product
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- CVE-2016-5195Race condition in mm/gup.c in the Linux kernel 2.x through 4.x before 4.8.3 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging incorrect haKEV83Now
- CVE-2019-13272In the Linux kernel before 5.1.17, ptrace_link in kernel/ptrace.c mishandles the recording of the credentials of a process that wants to creKEV77This week
- CVE-2013-6282The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the v6k and v7 ARM platforms do not validate certain addKEV77This week
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Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:linux-2.6 | 2.6.26-26lenny3 · Debian:5.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-debuginfo | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-devel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-doc | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-hugemem | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-hugemem-devel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-largesmp | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-largesmp-devel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-smp | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-smp-devel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-xenU | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-xenU-devel | 0:2.6.9-100.EL · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-665 · Improper InitializationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b00916b189d13a615ff05c9242201135992fcda3
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/01/24/9
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/01/25/3
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/01/25/4
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/01/25/5
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/01/28/1
- secunia.com/advisories/46397
- www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.36
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/520102/100/0/threaded
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/45972
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1146-1
- www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2011-0012.html
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=672428
- lkml.org/lkml/2010/10/7/297
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.