The do_exit function in kernel/exit.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36.2 does not properly handle a KERNEL_DS get_fs value, which allows local users to bypass intended access_ok restrictions, overwrite arbitrary kernel memory locations, and gain privileges by leveraging a (1) BUG, (2) NULL pointer dereference, or (3) page fault, as demonstrated by vectors involving the clear_child_tid feature and the splice system call.

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4258
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=659567
• https://lkml.org/lkml/2010/12/1/543
• http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2010-12/0086.html
• http://blog.nelhage.com/2010/12/cve-2010-4258-from-dos-to-privesc/
• http://code.google.com/p/chromium-os/issues/detail?id=10234
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=33dd94ae1ccbfb7bf0fb6c692bc3d1c4269e6177
• http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2011/01/chrome-os-beta-channel-update.html
• http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2010-December/052513.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-01/msg00000.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-01/msg00001.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-01/msg00004.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-01/msg00007.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-02/msg00000.html
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-02/msg00002.html
• http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=129117048916957&w=2
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/02/2
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/02/3
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/02/4
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/02/7
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/08/4
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/08/5
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/08/9
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/09/14
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/09/4
• http://secunia.com/advisories/42745
• http://secunia.com/advisories/42778
• http://secunia.com/advisories/42801
• http://secunia.com/advisories/42932
• http://secunia.com/advisories/43056
• http://secunia.com/advisories/43291
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.36.2
• http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2011:029
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/3321
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0012
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0124
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0213
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0298
• http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0375
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=33dd94ae1ccbfb7bf0fb6c692bc3d1c4269e6177