Vigil@nce: Linux kernel, privilege elevation via perf_counter_open
September 2009 by Vigil@nce
A local attacker can generate a buffer overflow in
perf_counter_open() in order to obtain system privileges.
– Severity: 2/4
– Consequences: administrator access/rights
– Provenance: user shell
– Means of attack: no proof of concept, no attack
– Ability of attacker: expert (4/4)
– Confidence: confirmed by the editor (5/5)
– Diffusion of the vulnerable configuration: high (3/3)
– Creation date: 16/09/2009
IMPACTED PRODUCTS
– Linux kernel
DESCRIPTION OF THE VULNERABILITY
The Linux kernel version 2.6.31 provides the perf_counter_open()
system call, to obtain statistics.
Parameters of perf_counter_open() are transmitted to
perf_copy_attr(), which does not check if the size to copy is
superior to the size of attributes. An overflow this occurs.
A local attacker can therefore generate a buffer overflow in
perf_counter_open() in order to obtain system privileges.
CHARACTERISTICS
– Identifiers: BID-36423, CVE-2009-3234, VIGILANCE-VUL-9027
– Url: http://vigilance.fr/vulnerability/Linux-kernel-privilege-elevation-via-perf-counter-open-9027