The mm subsystem in the Linux kernel through 3.2 does not properly enforce the CONFIG_STRICT_DEVMEM protection mechanism, which allows local
The mm subsystem in the Linux kernel through 3.2 does not properly enforce the CONFIG_STRICT_DEVMEM protection mechanism, which allows local users to read or write to kernel memory locations in the first megabyte (and bypass slab-allocation access restrictions) via an application that opens the /dev/mem file, related to arch/x86/mm/init.c and drivers/char/mem.c.
- Published
- Apr 16, 2017
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.3% · 22th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-732
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.3%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| 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 linux12.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.04
- debian debian linux8.0
- linux linux kernel3.13 and later · before 3.16.46
- linux linux kernel3.17 and later · before 3.18.50
- linux linux kernel3.19 and later · before 4.1.41
- linux linux kernelbefore 3.2.91
- linux linux kernel4.5 and later · before 4.9.24
- linux linux kernel4.10 and later · before 4.10.12
- linux linux kernel4.2 and later · before 4.4.63
- linux linux kernel3.3 and later · before 3.10.107
- linux linux kernel3.11 and later · before 3.12.74
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 4.9.25-1 | 4.9.25-1 |
| Debian:7 | linux | before 3.2.93-1 | 3.2.93-1 |
| Debian:8 | linux | before 3.16.43-2+deb8u3 | 3.16.43-2+deb8u3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-abi-whitelists | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debug-devel | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-devel | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-doc | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-firmware | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | kernel-headers | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | perf | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | perf-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | python-perf | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | python-perf-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-bootwrapper | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-kdump | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | kernel-kdump-debuginfo | before 0:2.6.32-754.el6 | 0:2.6.32-754.el6 |
+16
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV89Now
- CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV85Now
- 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
- CVE-2013-2094The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9 uses an incorrect integer data type, which allows loKEV77This week
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 | 4.9.25-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-debug | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-debug-debuginfo | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-debug-devel | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-debuginfo | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-devel | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-doc | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-firmware | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-trace | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-trace-debuginfo | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:kernel-rt-trace-devel | 1:3.10.0-693.2.1.rt56.585.el6rt · Red Hat:enterprise_mrg:2:server:el6 | 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.
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
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-732 · Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical ResourceCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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)
- Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLsCAPEC-1likelihood: High · High
- Privilege AbuseCAPEC-122likelihood: High · Medium
- Directory IndexingCAPEC-127likelihood: High · Medium
- Using Malicious FilesCAPEC-17likelihood: High · Very High
- Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security LevelsCAPEC-180likelihood: High · Medium
- Signing Malicious CodeCAPEC-206Very High
- Hijacking a privileged processCAPEC-234Medium
- Reusing Session IDs (aka Session Replay)CAPEC-60likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
- File and Directory DiscoveryT1083
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
- Server Software Component: Terminal Services DLLT1505.005
- Abuse Elevation Control MechanismT1548
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Web Session CookieT1550.004
- Subvert Trust Controls:Code SigningT1553.002
- Compromise Client Software BinaryT1554
- Hijack Execution Flow:Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow: ServicesFile Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=a4866aa812518ed1a37d8ea0c881dc946409de94
- www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3945
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/04/16/4
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/97690
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1842
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2077
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:2669
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1854
- git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip.git/commit/?id=b8f254aa17f720053054c4ecff3920973a83b9d6
- github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/a4866aa812518ed1a37d8ea0c881dc946409de94
- usn.ubuntu.com/3583-1/
- usn.ubuntu.com/3583-2/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.