Description
The cifs_lookup function in fs/cifs/dir.c in the Linux kernel before 3.2.10 allows local users to cause a denial of service (OOPS) via attempted access to a special file, as demonstrated by a FIFO.
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 6.0 | linux-2.6 | 2.6.32-41squeeze2 | DSA-2443-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | perf +15 | 2.6.32-220.13.1.el6 | RHSA-2012:0481 |
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2012:0481 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- DSA-2443-1 linux-2.6 - several Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/88d7d4e4a439f32acc56a6d860e415ee71d3df08
- RHSA-2012:0531 vendor-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2012:0554 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2012:0481 vendor-advisory
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.2.10
- 48964 third-party-advisory
- SUSE-SU-2012:0616 vendor-advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=798293
- 48842 third-party-advisory
- [oss-security] 20120228 Re: CVE request -- kernel: cifs: dentry refcount leak when opening a FIFO on lookup leads to panic on unmount mailing-list