The mountpoint_last function in fs/namei.c in the Linux kernel before 3.15.8 does not properly maintain a certain reference count during at…

published 2014-08-01 12 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2014-4944

cvss: 6.2; version 2.0, NVD
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.5%; EPSS 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 42%
public exploits: 0; none known

The mountpoint_last function in fs/namei.c in the Linux kernel before 3.15.8 does not properly maintain a certain reference count during attempts to use the umount system call in conjunction with a symlink, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption or use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via the umount program.

Patch / fix

fixed in 1 distros 3 links 2

linux linux_kernel 3.15.8

debian ubuntu red hat

linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 3.14.15-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2014-5045

linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 3.13.0-35.62

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2014-5045

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

kernel RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
perf RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
python-perf RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
kernel-kdump RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
kernel-tools RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7

red hat advisories RHSA-2015:0062 RHSA-2014:1971 RHSA-2014:1392

github.com/torvalds/linux@295dc39 commit
kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.15.8 advisory

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2014-5045 updated 2026-11-05 cvss 6.2

kernel: vfs: refcount issues during unmount on symlink

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) python-perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Compute Node Optional EUS (v. 6.5) kernel 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, python-perf 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2015:0062
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) python-perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1392
Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node EUS (v. 6.5) perf 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2015:0062
Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-kdump 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-bootwrapper 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-504.el6, +4 more
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1392
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-kdump 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-bootwrapper 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, +4 more
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server EUS (v. 6.5) perf 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-kdump 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-bootwrapper 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, +4 more
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2015:0062

show 8 more

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1392
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) python-perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional EUS (v. 6.5) kernel 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, python-perf 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-431.46.2.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2015:0062
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1392
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-504.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-504.el6
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1392
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) python-perf 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-123.13.1.el7
fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2014:1971
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 kernel-rt, mrg-rt-release, kernel-rt-trace, kernel-rt-vanilla, kernel-rt-firmware
not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

0.49% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 42% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

github.com https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/295dc39d941dc2ae53d5c170365af4c9d5c16212 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
NVD	2.0	6.2	AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Classification

Weakness

CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access

Technology feeds

Linux kernel rss critical rss

References

github.com /torvalds/linux/commit/295dc39d941dc2ae53d5c170365af4c9d5c16212
exploit, patch, third-party-advisory
kernel.org /pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.15.8
patch, third-party-advisory, vendor-advisory
rhn.redhat.com /errata/RHSA-2015-0062.html
vendor-advisory, third-party-advisory
openwall.com /lists/oss-security/2014/07/24/2
mailing-list, third-party-advisory
securityfocus.com /bid/68862
vdb-entry, third-party-advisory
git.kernel.org /?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=295dc39d941dc2ae53d5c170365af4c9d5c16212
secunia.com /advisories/60353
third-party-advisory
bugzilla.redhat.com /show_bug.cgi?id=1122472
issue-tracking, third-party-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2014-5045
NVD CVE-2014-5045

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary