The osf_partition function in fs/partitions/osf.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.38 does not properly handle an invalid number of partitions, which might allow local users to obtain potentially sensitive information from kernel heap memory via vectors related to partition-table parsing.

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1163
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=688021
• http://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100145416
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=commit;h=1eafbfeb7bdf59cfe173304c76188f3fd5f1fd05
• http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-04/msg00020.html
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/15/14
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/15/9
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2011-0833.html
• http://securityreason.com/securityalert/8189
• http://securitytracker.com/id?1025225
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.38
• http://www.pre-cert.de/advisories/PRE-SA-2011-02.txt
• http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/517050
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/46878
• http://www.spinics.net/lists/mm-commits/msg82737.html
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=1eafbfeb7bdf59cfe173304c76188f3fd5f1fd05