Linux Exploit Gets Around Security Barrier

[Peaches]

July 20, 2009 11:48 AM PDT

Linux exploit gets around security barrier

by Tom Espiner

A security researcher has released zero-day code for a flaw in the Linux kernel, saying that it bypasses security protections in the operating system.

The source code for the exploit was made available last week by researcher Brad Spengler on the Dailydave mailing list. According to the researcher, the code exploits a vulnerability in Linux version 2.6.30, and 2.6.18, and affects both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The 2.6.18 kernel is used in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

The exploit bypasses null pointer de-reference protection in the mainline kernel, which could allow an attacker to gain root control of a system, Spengler wrote.

It also uses arbitrary code execution to disable security features such as auditing, Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), AppArmor and Linux Security Module, while making the applications running outside the kernel believe that SELinux is still operating.

story CNET - http://news.cnet.com/security/

[jcl]

A security researcher has released zero-day code for a flaw in the Linux kernel, saying that it bypasses security protections in the operating system.

The exploit was released the day after a workaround for the vulnerability was committed to Linus's tree.