CVE-2014-8181 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE
The kernel in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and MRG-2 does not clear garbage data for SG_IO buffer, which may leaking sensitive information to userspace.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8181 resides within the kernel implementation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and MRG-2 systems, specifically affecting the SCSI generic I/O subsystem. This issue manifests when the kernel handles buffer management for SCSI operations through the SG_IO interface, creating a potential information disclosure scenario that could expose sensitive data to unauthorized userspace processes. The flaw occurs during the processing of SCSI commands where the kernel fails to properly sanitize buffer contents before making them available to user applications, creating a pathway for residual data to leak from kernel memory spaces into user space.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the kernel's SCSI subsystem implementation. When the SG_IO interface processes I/O operations, it allocates buffers to handle data transfers between kernel and user space. The kernel fails to clear or zero out these buffers of any previous contents, allowing data that was previously stored in those memory locations to persist and be accessible to user applications. This garbage data could contain sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, passwords, personal identification numbers, or other confidential data that was previously processed by the kernel or other applications running in the system. The vulnerability represents a classic case of information exposure through improper data sanitization, aligning with CWE-223, which addresses the failure to properly clear sensitive data from memory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential attack vectors for malicious actors seeking to exploit the leaked data. An attacker with access to user space processes could potentially harvest sensitive information from kernel buffers through crafted SG_IO operations, leading to credential theft, system compromise, or data breaches. This vulnerability particularly affects systems that handle sensitive data through SCSI operations, including enterprise storage systems, database servers, and any environment where the SG_IO interface is actively used for storage operations. The risk is elevated in multi-tenant environments where different users or applications share the same system, as the leaked information could potentially be accessed by unauthorized parties.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-8181 primarily focus on kernel updates and system hardening measures. Organizations should immediately apply the security patches provided by Red Hat that address the buffer clearing implementation in the kernel's SCSI subsystem. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual SG_IO operations that might indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be tightened for SCSI-related interfaces, and unnecessary SCSI operations should be disabled where possible. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in kernel space, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1005 which covers data from local system storage, and emphasizes the need for robust kernel security practices that prevent information leakage through improper buffer management. Organizations should also consider implementing kernel module access controls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other kernel subsystems.