Linux Kernel vulnerability CVE-2017-7184 disclosed at Pwn2Own 2017 fixed

The Linux kernel flaw exploited by the hackers at the Zero Day Initiative’s Pwn2Own 2017 competition to hack Ubuntu has been patched.

The Chaitin Security Research Lab (@ChaitinTech) discovered a Linux Kernel flaw, , tracked as CVE-2017-7184, during the last Pwn2Own 2017 competition. The experts hacked Ubuntu Desktop exploiting a Linux kernel heap out-of-bound access and earned $15,000 and 3 Master of Pwn points. It was the first time for an Ubuntu Linux hack at the Pwn2Own.

“This vulnerability allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of the Linux Kernel. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.” reads the ZDI advisory.

“The specific flaw exists within the handling of xfrm states. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a memory access past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to elevate privileges and execute arbitrary code under the context of the kernel.”

The vulnerability can be exploited to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or to execute arbitrary code. It could be exploited by a local attacker to escalate privileges on the system.

Red Hat rated the flaw as “high severity,” anyway its experts confirmed that the flaw cannot be exploited for privilege escalation on default or common configurations of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6 and 7.

The CVE-2017-718 flaw was quickly fixed in the Linux kernel a few days after the Pwn2Own 2017 competition, and Ubuntu development team has fixed it at the end of March. Other Linux distributions are already working on security patches.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – Linux Kernel Flaw, CVE-2017-7184)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.