Description
The osf_wait4 function in arch/alpha/kernel/osf_sys.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.39.4 on the Alpha platform uses an incorrect pointer, which allows local users to gain privileges by writing a certain integer value to kernel memory.
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.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 5.0 | linux-2.6 | 2.6.26-26lenny4 | DSA-2310-1 |
Advisories 1
- DSA-2310-1 linux-2.6 - several issues Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.39.4
- [oss-security] 20110615 Re: CVE request: kernel: alpha: fix several security issues mailing-list
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/21c5977a836e399fc710ff2c5367845ed5c2527f
- http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=21c5977a836e399fc710ff2c5367845ed5c2527f