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Fencer Intel
high 7.8

CVE-2017-16939 json

The XFRM dump policy implementation in net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c in the Linux kernel before 4.13.11 allows local users to gain privileges or cau…

published 8y ago modified 4mo ago also EUVD-2017-8108

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
2.2%
EPSS 2.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 82%
public exploits
1
Exploit-DB

Summary

The XFRM dump policy implementation in net/xfrm/xfrm_user.c in the Linux kernel before 4.13.11 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) via a crafted SO_RCVBUF setsockopt system call in conjunction with XFRM_MSG_GETPOLICY Netlink messages.

Patch / fix

  • linux linux_kernel 3.2.97, 3.16.52, 3.18.86, 4.1.48, 4.4.104, 4.9.60, 4.13.11
  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 4.13.13-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2017-16939

  • linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 3.13.0-137.186
  • linux Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-103.126
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 4.4.0-1005.5
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-1043.52
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.13.0-1002.5
  • linux-hwe Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.13.0-32.35~16.04.1
  • linux-kvm Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-1012.17
  • linux-oem Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.13.0-1010.11

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2017-16939

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 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • perf RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • python-perf RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • kernel-kdump RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • kernel-tools RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
  • kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7

red hat advisories RHSA-2018:1318RHSA-2018:0654RHSA-2019:1190RHSA-2019:1170RHSA-2018:1355

  • kernel-rt SLE Real Time 12 SP3 4.4.170-3.32.2
  • kernel-syms-rt SLE Real Time 12 SP3 4.4.170-3.32.1
  • kernel-rt_debug SLE Real Time 12 SP3 4.4.170-3.32.2
  • kernel-source-rt SLE Real Time 12 SP3 4.4.170-3.32.1
  • kernel-azure SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3 4.4.170-4.22.1
  • kernel-syms-azure SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3 4.4.170-4.22.1
  • kernel-source-azure SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3 4.4.170-4.22.1
  • kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP3_Update_4 SLE Live Patching 12 SP3 3-2.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2019:0320-1SUSE-SU-2019:0148-1SUSE-SU-2018:0345-1SUSE-SU-2018:0340-1SUSE-SU-2018:0347-1SUSE-SU-2018:0346-1

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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-2017-16939 updated cvss 8.1

Kernel: ipsec: xfrm: use-after-free leading to potential privilege escalation

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, +1 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode EUS (v. 7.4) perf 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, +1 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:1170
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional EUS (v. 7.4) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:1170
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) perf 4.14.0-49.el7a, kernel 4.14.0-49.el7a, perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-alt 4.14.0-49.el7a, python-perf 4.14.0-49.el7a, +16 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 4.14.0-49.el7a, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.14.0-49.el7a, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Real Time for NFV (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-kvm 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-trace-kvm 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Realtime (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.rt56.806.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1355
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-kdump 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server EUS (v. 7.4) perf 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-kdump 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, +6 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:1170
show 5 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional EUS (v. 7.4) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-693.47.2.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:1170
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, kernel-abi-whitelists 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-862.2.3.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2018:1318
  • Red Hat MRG Realtime for RHEL 6 Server v.2 kernel-rt 3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt, kernel-rt-vanilla 3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt, kernel-rt-firmware 3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:1190
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more
    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

Timeline

  1. First public exploit (EDB-44049)
  2. Published

Exploit prediction

2.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 82% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-44049 Linux Kernel (Ubuntu 17.04) - 'XFRM' Local Privilege Escalation local, 2017-11-23
  • blogs.securiteam.com https://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/3535 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 2.0 7.2 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Classification

Weakness
Technology feeds

References

Sources

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.