Updated kernel packages fix security vulnerability
Security Advisory: Important
Updated kernel packages are now available as part of ongoing
support and maintenance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux version
2.1. This is the sixth regular update.
The Linux kernel handles the basic functions of the operating
system.
This is the sixth regular kernel update to Red Hat Enterprise Linux version
2.1. It updates a number of device drivers, and adds much improved SATA
support.
This update includes fixes for several security issues:
Paul Starzetz of iSEC discovered various flaws in the ELF binary
loader affecting kernels prior to 2.4.28. A local user could use these
flaws to gain read access to executable-only binaries or possibly gain
privileges. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project
(cve.mitre.org) has assigned the names CAN-2004-1070, CAN-2004-1071,
CAN-2004-1072, and CAN-2004-1073 to these issues.
A missing serialization flaw in unix_dgram_recvmsg was discovered that
affects kernels prior to 2.4.28. A local user could potentially make
use of a race condition in order to gain privileges. (CAN-2004-1068)
Stefan Esser discovered various flaws including buffer overflows in
the smbfs driver affecting kernels before 2.4.28. A local user may be
able to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly gain privileges.
In order to exploit these flaws the user would need to have control of
a connected smb server. (CAN-2004-0883, CAN-2004-0949)
Conectiva discovered flaws in certain USB drivers affecting kernels
before 2.4.27 which used the copy_to_user function on uninitialized
structures. These flaws could allow local users to read small
amounts of kernel memory. (CAN-2004-0685)
The ext3 code in kernels before 2.4.26 did not properly initialize journal
descriptor blocks. A privileged local user could read portions of kernel
memory. (CAN-2004-0177)
The following drivers have also been updated:
All Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 users are advised to upgrade their kernels
to the packages associated with their machine architectures and
configurations as listed in this erratum.
Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.
To update all RPMs for your particular architecture, run:
rpm -Fvh [filenames]
where [filenames] is a list of the RPMs you wish to upgrade. Only those
RPMs which are currently installed will be updated. Those RPMs which are
not installed but included in the list will not be updated. Note that you
can also use wildcards (*.rpm) if your current directory *only* contains the
desired RPMs.
Please note that this update is also available via Red Hat Network. Many
people find this an easier way to apply updates. To use Red Hat Network,
launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command:
up2date
This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate
RPMs being upgraded on your system.
If up2date fails to connect to Red Hat Network due to SSL
Certificate Errors, you need to install a version of the
up2date client with an updated certificate. The latest version of
up2date is available from the Red Hat FTP site and may also be
downloaded directly from the RHN website:
https://rhn.redhat.com/help/latest-up2date.pxt
(none)
Vulmon