CVE-2011-0714 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in a certain Red Hat patch for the RPC server sockets functionality in the Linux kernel 2.6.32 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via malformed data in a packet, related to lockd and the svc_xprt_received function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0714 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the Linux kernel's RPC server sockets implementation, specifically affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 systems running kernel version 2.6.32. This flaw manifests in the lockd service component responsible for managing NFS lock operations, where the svc_xprt_received function fails to properly validate packet data before processing. The issue arises from improper memory management practices that allow freed memory regions to be accessed after they have been deallocated, creating a potential vector for exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it exists within a core networking service that handles remote procedure calls, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers who can craft malicious packets to trigger the condition.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when malformed data is transmitted through RPC packets to the affected kernel service, specifically targeting the lockd functionality that manages network file locking operations. When the svc_xprt_received function processes these malformed packets, it attempts to access memory that has already been freed due to improper reference counting or object lifecycle management. This use-after-free condition can lead to memory corruption that ultimately results in kernel panic or system crash, effectively causing a denial of service condition that renders the affected system unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as a use-after-free error, which represents a well-known class of memory safety issues that have historically led to both denial of service and potential privilege escalation scenarios.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly compromises system availability and reliability for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 environments that rely on NFS services and RPC functionality. Organizations running affected systems face potential service disruption when attackers exploit this condition, as the denial of service can occur without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. The vulnerability affects the core networking infrastructure components that support distributed file systems and remote procedure calls, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where NFS services are extensively used for shared storage and file access. The impact extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially disrupt business operations, especially in scenarios where high availability and continuous access to networked resources are critical requirements.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0714 primarily focus on applying the official Red Hat security patches that address the memory management issues within the lockd service and svc_xprt_received function. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the patched kernel versions that contain the necessary fixes for the use-after-free condition. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules can be implemented to restrict access to RPC services where possible, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous RPC traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and represents a classic example of how memory safety issues in kernel code can be leveraged to compromise system availability, emphasizing the importance of proper memory management practices in operating system development and the necessity of regular security updates to maintain system integrity.