The compat_alloc_user_space functions in include/asm/compat.h files in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36-rc4-git2 on 64-bit platforms do not properly allocate the userspace memory required for the 32-bit compatibility layer, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the compat_mc_getsockopt function (aka the MCAST_MSFILTER getsockopt support) to control a certain length value, related to a "stack pointer underflow" issue, as exploited in the wild in September 2010.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8, requiring local system access to exploit with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 4 products from linux, from vmware, from suse and 1 other, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Documented in 2010, this vulnerability occurred amid the cloud computing expansion era, where traditional network perimeter security models were being reevaluated. Organizations were transitioning from isolated infrastructure to interconnected systems, creating new attack surfaces that vulnerabilities like this could exploit.
2010-09-24T20:00:02.183
2026-04-29T01:13:23.040
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 7.8 (HIGH)
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
3.9
10.0
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | ≤ 2.6.35.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | 2.6.36 | Yes |
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | 2.6.36 | Yes |
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | 2.6.36 | Yes |
| Operating System | linux | linux_kernel | 2.6.36 | Yes |
| Operating System | vmware | esx | 4.0 | Yes |
| Operating System | vmware | esx | 4.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | suse | suse_linux_enterprise_desktop | 11 | Yes |
| Operating System | suse | suse_linux_enterprise_server | 11 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For linux's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.