Description
The netlink_sendmsg function in net/netlink/af_netlink.c in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 does not validate the dst_pid field, which allows local users to have an unspecified impact by spoofing Netlink messages.
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 14 | linux | 3.6.4-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 3.6.4-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 3.6.4-1 | — |
| Debian 6.0 | linux-2.6 | 2.6.32-48squeeze12 | DLA-246-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | perf +16 | 2.6.32-504.el6 | RHSA-2014:1392 |
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2014:1392 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DLA-246-1 linux-2.6 - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.5.5
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=20e1db19db5d6b9e4e83021595eab0dc8f107bef
- [linux-kernel] 20120817 [PATCH 2/2] [RFC] netlink: fix possible spoofing from non-root processes mailing-list
- 72739 vdb-entry
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=848949
- [oss-security] 20150222 Re: libmnl: incorrect validation of netlink message origin allows attackers to spoof netlink messages mailing-list
- [linux-kernel] 20120817 [PATCH 0/2] netlink patches mailing-list
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/20e1db19db5d6b9e4e83021595eab0dc8f107bef