CVE-2017-1000405

Published Nov 30, 2017

Last updated a year ago

Overview

Description
The Linux Kernel versions 2.6.38 through 4.14 have a problematic use of pmd_mkdirty() in the touch_pmd() function inside the THP implementation. touch_pmd() can be reached by get_user_pages(). In such case, the pmd will become dirty. This scenario breaks the new can_follow_write_pmd()'s logic - pmd can become dirty without going through a COW cycle. This bug is not as severe as the original "Dirty cow" because an ext4 file (or any other regular file) cannot be mapped using THP. Nevertheless, it does allow us to overwrite read-only huge pages. For example, the zero huge page and sealed shmem files can be overwritten (since their mapping can be populated using THP). Note that after the first write page-fault to the zero page, it will be replaced with a new fresh (and zeroed) thp.
Source
cve@mitre.org
NVD status
Analyzed

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type
Primary
Base score
7
Impact score
5.9
Exploitability score
1
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity
HIGH

CVSS 2.0

Type
Primary
Base score
6.9
Impact score
10
Exploitability score
3.4
Vector string
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Weaknesses

nvd@nist.gov
CWE-362

Social media

Hype score
Not currently trending

Configurations