Description
The Linux kernel before 2.6.12.5 does not properly destroy a keyring that is not instantiated properly, which allows local users or remote attackers to cause a denial of service (kernel oops) via a keyring with a payload that is not empty, which causes the creation to fail, leading to a null dereference in the keyring destructor.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 4 | kernel +6 | 2.6.9-22.EL | RHSA-2005:514 |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2005:514 Red Hat Security Advisory: Updated kernel packages available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 2 Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
References
- USN-169-1 vendor-advisory
- MDKSA-2005:220 vendor-advisory
- 1014644 vdb-entry
- 17073 third-party-advisory
- RHSA-2005:514 vendor-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:9079 vdb-entry signature
- http://kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.12.5
- FLSA:157459-3 vendor-advisory
- 16355 third-party-advisory
- 14517 vdb-entry