Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2016-4558

The BPF subsystem in the Linux kernel before 4.5.5 mishandles reference counts, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted application on (1) a system with more than 32 Gb of memory, related to the program reference count or (2) a 1 Tb system, related to the map reference count.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.0, requiring local system access to exploit but requires specific conditions to be met 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 2 products from linux, from canonical organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2016, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2016-05-23T10:59:04.783

Last Modified

2025-04-12T10:46:40.837

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.0 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access Vector: LOCAL
Access Complexity: MEDIUM
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: COMPLETE
Integrity Impact: COMPLETE
Availability Impact: COMPLETE

Exploitability Score

3.4

Impact Score

10.0

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
NVD-CWE-Other

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	< 4.4.11	Yes
Operating System	linux	linux_kernel	< 4.5.5	Yes
Operating System	canonical	ubuntu_linux	14.04	Yes
Operating System	canonical	ubuntu_linux	16.04	Yes

References

http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=92117d8443bc5afacc8d5ba82e541946310f106e Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.5.5 Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/06/4 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3005-1 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3006-1 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3007-1 Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1334303 Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/92117d8443bc5afacc8d5ba82e541946310f106e Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=92117d8443bc5afacc8d5ba82e541946310f106e Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.5.5 Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/06/4 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3005-1 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3006-1 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3007-1 Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1334303 Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/92117d8443bc5afacc8d5ba82e541946310f106e Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

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.