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'Stack Clash' Linux Flaw Enables Root Access. Patch Now (threatpost.com)

msm1267 writes: Linux, BSD, Solaris and other open source systems are vulnerable to a local privilege escalation vulnerability known as Stack Clash that allows an attacker to execute code at root. Major Linux and open source distributors made patches available Monday, and systems running Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD, FreeBSD or Solaris on i386 or amd64 hardware should be updated soon.

The risk presented by this flaw, CVE-2017-1000364, becomes elevated especially if attackers are already present on a vulnerable system. They would now be able to chain this vulnerability with other critical issues, including the recently addressed Sudo vulnerability, and then run arbitrary code with the highest privileges, said researchers at Qualys who discovered the vulnerability.

3 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting, makes me wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Very interesting that the major flavors (Sys V, BSD, and Linux [which I consider a rewrite of Sys V]) are vulnerable. Sounds like a deep seated logic flaw there. Wonder if other vendor specific ones (IRIX, SunOS, Ultrix, AIX, etc) are vulnerable.

    1. Re: Interesting, makes me wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's only on specific processor types, which indicates the flaw is in the chips' instruction set and the OS patch is a mitigation.

    2. Re: Interesting, makes me wonder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's an ABI flaw, not a instruction set flaw.

      The real fix would be in the compiler and recompiling all libraries and binaries.

      So yes, the kernel fix is "mitigation", because doing the real thing will take much longer.