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Fencer Intel
medium 5.5

CVE-2018-17972 json

An issue was discovered in the proc_pid_stack function in fs/proc/base.c in the Linux kernel through 4.18.11.

published 8y ago modified 4mo ago also EUVD-2018-9712

cvss
5.5
version 3.0, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.4%
EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 30%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

An issue was discovered in the proc_pid_stack function in fs/proc/base.c in the Linux kernel through 4.18.11. It does not ensure that only root may inspect the kernel stack of an arbitrary task, allowing a local attacker to exploit racy stack unwinding and leak kernel task stack contents.

Patch / fix

  • linux Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 4.18.20-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2018-17972

  • linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 3.13.0-165.215
  • linux Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-139.165
  • linux Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-44.47
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 4.4.0-1034.37
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.4.0-1072.82
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1032.34
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 4.15.0-1027.28~16.04.1
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 4.15.0-1027.28

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2018-17972

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-alt RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • kernel RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • python-perf RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • kernel-tools RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • kernel-tools-libs RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • kernel-bootwrapper RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
  • kernel-abi-whitelists RHEL 7 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a

red hat advisories RHSA-2019:0831RHSA-2019:2473RHSA-2019:0514RHSA-2019:0512

  • kernel-ec2 SLE Module for Public Cloud 12 3.12.61-52.154.1
  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 4.4.121-92.114.1
  • kernel-source SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +2 more 4.4.121-92.114.1
  • kernel-default SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, SLES 12 SP2-BCL +3 more 4.4.121-92.114.1
  • kgraft-patch-SLE12-SP2_Update_30 SLES for SAP 12 SP2, SLES 12 SP2-LTSS, OpenStack Cloud 7 +1 more 1-3.5.1
  • kernel-ec2 SLE Module for Public Cloud 12 3.12.74-60.64.115.1
  • kernel-syms SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 4.4.180-94.97.1
  • kernel-source SLES for SAP 12 SP3, SLES 12 SP3, SLED 12 SP3 4.4.180-94.97.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2019:1692-1SUSE-SU-2019:14089-1SUSE-SU-2019:1534-1SUSE-SU-2019:1533-1SUSE-SU-2019:1532-1SUSE-SU-2019:1527-1

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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-2018-17972 updated cvss 3.3

kernel: Unprivileged users able to inspect kernel stacks of arbitrary tasks

  • Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 kernel-rt, mrg-rt-release, kernel-rt-trace, kernel-rt-vanilla, kernel-rt-firmware
    affected: no fix planned “Will not fix”
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, +2 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, +2 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0512
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) perf 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, kernel 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, kernel-alt 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, python-perf 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, kernel-tools 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, kernel-tools-libs 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a, +3 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 4.14.0-115.7.1.el7a
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0831
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Real Time for NFV (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-kvm 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-debug-kvm 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-trace-kvm 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0514
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Realtime (v. 7) kernel-rt 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7, kernel-rt-trace 3.10.0-957.10.1.rt56.921.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0514
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-kdump 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-bootwrapper 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
show 8 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-kdump 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0512
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0512
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-firmware 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-abi-whitelists 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, bpftool 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, python-perf 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, kernel-tools-libs 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7, +2 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0512
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 6) python-perf 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-i686 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 2.6.32-754.18.2.el6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:2473
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 3.10.0-957.10.1.el7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2019:0512
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 kernel Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, kernel-core, kernel-tools, +29 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

Exploit prediction

0.36% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 30% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.0 5.5 CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
NVD 2.0 4.9 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-362 Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization
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.