Amazon Linux AMI : kernel (ALAS-2018-1023)

high Nessus Plugin ID 110197

Synopsis

The remote Amazon Linux AMI host is missing a security update.

Description

A weakness was found in the Linux kernel's implementation of random seed data. Programs, early in the boot sequence, could use the data allocated for the seed before it was sufficiently generated.
(CVE-2018-1108)

A flaw was found in the way the Linux kernel handled exceptions delivered after a stack switch operation via Mov SS or Pop SS instructions. During the stack switch operation, the processor did not deliver interrupts and exceptions, rather they are delivered once the first instruction after the stack switch is executed. An unprivileged system user could use this flaw to crash the system kernel resulting in the denial of service. (CVE-2018-8897)

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's implementation of 32-bit syscall interface for bridging. This allowed a privileged user to arbitrarily write to a limited range of kernel memory. (CVE-2018-1068)

The Linux kernel is vulerable to a use-after-free flaw when Transformation User configuration interface(CONFIG_XFRM_USER) compile-time configuration were enabled. This vulnerability occurs while closing a xfrm netlink socket in xfrm_dump_policy_done. A user/process could abuse this flaw to potentially escalate their privileges on a system. (CVE-2017-16939)

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel where a crash can be triggered from unprivileged userspace during core dump on a POWER system with a certain configuration. This is due to a missing processor feature check and an erroneous use of transactional memory (TM) instructions in the core dump path leading to a denial of service.(CVE-2018-1091)

An address corruption flaw was discovered in the Linux kernel built with hardware breakpoint (CONFIG_HAVE_HW_BREAKPOINT) support. While modifying a h/w breakpoint via 'modify_user_hw_breakpoint' routine, an unprivileged user/process could use this flaw to crash the system kernel resulting in DoS OR to potentially escalate privileges on a the system.(CVE-2018-1000199)

A flaw was found in the way the Linux kernel's KVM hypervisor handled exceptions delivered after a stack switch operation via Mov SS or Pop SS instructions. During the stack switch operation, the processor did not deliver interrupts and exceptions, rather they are delivered once the first instruction after the stack switch is executed. An unprivileged KVM guest user could use this flaw to crash the guest or, potentially, escalate their privileges in the guest.(CVE-2018-1087)

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's skcipher component, which affects the skcipher_recvmsg function. Attackers using a specific input can lead to a privilege escalation.(CVE-2017-13215)

The do_get_mempolicy() function in mm/mempolicy.c in the Linux kernel allows local users to hit a use-after-free bug via crafted system calls and thus cause a denial of service (DoS) or possibly have unspecified other impact. Due to the nature of the flaw, privilege escalation cannot be fully ruled out.(CVE-2018-10675)

A flaw was found in Linux kernel's KVM virtualization subsystem. The VMX code does not restore the GDT.LIMIT to the previous host value, but instead sets it to 64KB. With a corrupted GDT limit a host's userspace code has an ability to place malicious entries in the GDT, particularly to the per-cpu variables. An attacker can use this to escalate their privileges.(CVE-2018-10901)

A race condition in the store_int_with_restart() function in arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mcheck/mce.c in the Linux kernel allows local users to cause a denial of service (panic) by leveraging root access to write to the check_interval file in a /sys/devices/system/machinecheck/machinecheck<cpu number> directory.
(CVE-2018-7995)

Solution

Run 'yum update kernel' then reboot the instance to update your system.

See Also

https://alas.aws.amazon.com/ALAS-2018-1023.html

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 110197

File Name: ala_ALAS-2018-1023.nasl

Version: 1.7

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 5/30/2018

Updated: 7/10/2019

Supported Sensors: Agentless Assessment, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Frictionless Assessment AWS, Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Critical

Score: 9.6

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.2

Temporal Score: 6.3

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.8

Temporal Score: 7.5

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:H/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-debuginfo-common-i686, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-devel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-headers, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-tools, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-tools-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:kernel-tools-devel, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:perf, p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:perf-debuginfo, cpe:/o:amazon:linux

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/AmazonLinux/release, Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 1/25/2019

Vulnerability Publication Date: 11/24/2017

Exploitable With

Metasploit (Microsoft Windows POP/MOV SS Local Privilege Elevation Vulnerability)

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2017-13215, CVE-2017-16939, CVE-2018-1000199, CVE-2018-10675, CVE-2018-1068, CVE-2018-1087, CVE-2018-10901, CVE-2018-1091, CVE-2018-1108, CVE-2018-7995, CVE-2018-8897

ALAS: 2018-1023