Description
The Linux kernel before 2.6.37 does not properly implement a certain clock-update optimization, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system hang) via an application that executes code in a loop.
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 6 | perf +15 | 2.6.32-220.2.1.el6 | RHSA-2011:1849 |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2011:1849 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
References
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/f26f9aff6aaf67e9a430d16c266f91b13a5bff64
- http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.37
- [oss-security] 20111221 Re: CVE Request -- kernel: tight loop and no preemption can cause system stall mailing-list
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=769711
- http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=f26f9aff6aaf67e9a430d16c266f91b13a5bff64