CVE-2008-1514 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
arch/s390/kernel/ptrace.c in Linux kernel 2.6.9, and other versions before 2.6.27-rc6, on s390 platforms allows local users to cause a denial of service (kernel panic) via the user-area-padding test from the ptrace testsuite in 31-bit mode, which triggers an invalid dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1514 represents a critical kernel-level flaw affecting the s390 architecture implementation within the Linux kernel version 2.6.9 and earlier versions up to 2.6.27-rc5. This issue specifically impacts systems running on IBM System/390 (s390) platforms where the ptrace system call functionality contains a fundamental programming error that can be exploited to trigger a kernel panic. The vulnerability manifests when executing the user-area-padding test from the ptrace testsuite in 31-bit mode, demonstrating how seemingly benign testing procedures can expose catastrophic system failures.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in an invalid memory dereference within the arch/s390/kernel/ptrace.c file, which is part of the kernel's process tracing mechanism. When the ptrace system call attempts to handle certain operations in 31-bit mode, the kernel code fails to properly validate memory access patterns, leading to a situation where a null or invalid pointer is dereferenced. This invalid memory access triggers an immediate kernel panic, effectively crashing the entire operating system and rendering the affected system unavailable for legitimate operations. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, bypassing normal user-space protections and directly targeting the core memory management subsystem.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to system availability and stability, particularly in enterprise environments where s390 systems are deployed for mission-critical applications. The local privilege escalation aspect means that any user with access to execute the ptrace testsuite can potentially cause system-wide outages, making this a particularly dangerous flaw from a security operations perspective. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the kernel panic can result in data loss, service interruptions, and potential compromise of system integrity if attackers can leverage this vulnerability to disrupt system operations. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-476 which describes NULL Pointer Dereference, and represents a classic example of how improper validation can lead to system-wide failures.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can be categorized under the attack pattern of privilege escalation and system disruption, falling within the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques. Organizations running s390-based systems must consider this vulnerability as a critical threat requiring immediate attention, particularly in environments where system uptime is paramount. The remediation strategy involves upgrading to kernel versions 2.6.27-rc6 or later where the memory validation has been properly implemented. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unauthorized execution of ptrace tests and consider restricting access to ptrace functionality where possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough testing and validation of kernel-level code, particularly in complex architectures like s390, where the interaction between different subsystems can create unexpected failure conditions that propagate to the core kernel functionality.