Slackware Linux Advisory: kernel

Written By
Web Webster
Web Webster
Dec 2, 2003

[slackware-security] Kernel security update
(SSA:2003-336-01)

New kernels are available for Slackware 9.1 and -current. These
have been upgraded to Linux kernel version 2.4.23, which fixes a
bug in the kernel’s do_brk() function that could be exploited to
gain root privileges. These updated kernels and modules should be
installed by any sites running a 2.4 kernel earlier than 2.4.23.
Linux 2.0 and 2.2 kernels are not vulnerable.

More details about the kernel issue may be found in the Common
Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database:

http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2003-0961

Here are the details from the Slackware 9.1 ChangeLog:


Mon Dec 1 21:36:30 PST 2003
patches/kernels/: Upgraded to Linux 2.4.23. This fixes a bug in
the
  kernel’s do_brk() function which a local user could
exploit to gain
  root privileges. For more details, see:
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CAN-2003-0961

  Sites should upgrade to the 2.4.23 kernel and kernel
modules. After
  installing the new kernel, be sure to run ‘lilo’.
  (* Security fix *)
patches/packages/alsa-driver-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to
  alsa-driver-0.9.8, compiled against linux-2.4.23.
patches/packages/alsa-lib-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to
alsa-lib-0.9.8.
patches/packages/alsa-oss-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to
alsa-oss-0.9.8.
patches/packages/alsa-utils-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to
  alsa-utils-0.9.8.
patches/packages/kernel-ide-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded bare.i
kernel
  package to Linux 2.4.23.
patches/packages/kernel-modules-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz: Upgraded to
Linux
  2.4.23 kernel modules.
patches/packages/kernel-source-2.4.23-noarch-2.tgz: Upgraded to
Linux
  2.4.23 kernel source, with XFS and Speakup patches
included (but not
  pre-applied).
patches/packages/kernel-modules-xfs/alsa-driver-xfs-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz:

  Upgraded to alsa-driver-0.9.8, compiled against
linux-2.4.23-xfs.
patches/packages/kernel-modules-xfs/kernel-modules-xfs-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz:

  Upgraded to Linux 2.4.23 kernel modules for the xfs.s
(XFS patched)
  kernel.


WHERE TO FIND THE NEW PACKAGES:

Updated packages for Slackware 9.1:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/kernel-ide-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/kernel-modules-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/kernel-source-2.4.23-noarch-2.tgz

An alternate kernel may be installed. Those are found in this
directory:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/kernels/

ALSA has also been updated to 0.9.8 and compiled for 2.4.23.
These packages will also be required to use the ALSA sound
system:


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/alsa-driver-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz

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ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/alsa-lib-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/alsa-oss-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/alsa-utils-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz

The XFS patched kernel requires different kernel modules. If you
use the XFS filesystem and XFS patched kernel (xfs.s), these
packages contain kernel modules compiled against 2.4.23-xfs:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/kernel-modules-xfs/alsa-driver-xfs-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/packages/kernel-modules-xfs/kernel-modules-xfs-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz

Updated packages for Slackware -current:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/a/kernel-ide-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/a/kernel-modules-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/d/kernel-headers-2.4.23-i386-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/k/kernel-source-2.4.23-noarch-2.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/ap/alsa-utils-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/l/alsa-driver-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/l/alsa-lib-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/slackware/l/alsa-oss-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/extra/kernel-modules-xfs/alsa-driver-xfs-0.9.8-i486-1.tgz


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/extra/kernel-modules-xfs/kernel-modules-xfs-2.4.23-i486-1.tgz

MD5 SIGNATURES:

MD5 signatures may be downloaded from our FTP server:

Slackware 9.1 packages:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/CHECKSUMS.md5

To verify authenticity, this file has been signed with the
Slackware GPG key (use ‘gpg –verify’):


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-9.1/patches/CHECKSUMS.md5.asc

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Slackware -current packages:

ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/CHECKSUMS.md5


ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-current/CHECKSUMS.md5.asc

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Use upgradepkg to install the new kernel, kernel-modules, and
alsa packages. After installing the kernel-ide package you will
need to run lilo (‘lilo’ at a command prompt) or create a new
system boot disk (‘makebootdisk’), and reboot.

If desired, a kernel from the kernels/ directory may be used
instead. For example, to use the kernel in kernels/scsi.s/, you
would copy it to the boot directory like this:

cd kernels/scsi.s
cp bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-scsi.s-2.4.23

Create a symbolic link:
ln -sf /boot/vmlinuz-scsi.s-2.4.23 /boot/vmlinuz

Then, run ‘lilo’ or create a new system boot disk and
reboot.

+—–+

Slackware Linux Security Team
http://slackware.com/gpg-key
security@slackware.com

Web Webster

Web Webster

Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.

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