RHBA-2008:0650 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated kernel packages that fix several bugs, while adding an enhancement
are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.

Description

The kernel packages contain the Linux kernel, the core of any Linux
operating system.

These updated packages fix the following bugs:

• the GNU libc stub resolver is a minimal resolver that works with Domain

Name System (DNS) servers to satisfy requests from applications for names.
The GNU libc stub resolver did not specify a source UDP port, and
therefore used predictable port numbers. This could have make DNS
spoofing attacks easier.

The Linux kernel has been updated to implement random UDP source ports
where none are specified by an application. This allows applications, such
as those using the GNU libc stub resolver, to use random UDP source ports,
helping to make DNS spoofing attacks harder.

• A set of patches detailed as "sys_times: Fix system unresponsiveness

during many concurrent invocation of sys_times()" and "Minor code cleanup
to sys_times() call" introduced regression which caused a kernel panic
under high load. These patches were reverted in the current release.

• A process could hang in an uninterruptible state while

accessing application data files due to race condition in asynchronous
direct I/O system calls.

• USB devices would not be detected on a PowerEdge R805 system. USB devices

are now able to be detected on the aforementioned system with this update.

Further, these updated packages add the following enhancement:

• Added HDMI support for AMD ATI chipsets RS780, RV610, RV620,

RV630, RV635, RV670 and RV770.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 users are advised to upgrade to these updated
packages, which contain backported patches to resolve these issues.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure that all previously-released
errata relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via Red Hat Network. Details on how to use
the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/FAQ_58_10188

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 4 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 4 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 4 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 4.7 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 4.7 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support 4.7 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 4 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 4 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 4 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 4 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 4 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 4 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 4 s390
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems - Extended Update Support 4.7 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems - Extended Update Support 4.7 s390
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 4 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian - Extended Update Support 4.7 ppc

Fixes

• BZ - 454566 - kernel: randomize udp port allocation
• BZ - 455074 - kernel panic with kernel version 2.6.9-67.0.20.EL
• BZ - 456083 - process hangs in async direct IO / possible race between dio_bio_end_aio() and dio_await_one() ?
• BZ - 456163 - RHEL4.7: HDMI Audio support for AMD ATI chipsets
• BZ - 456297 - USB devices not detected on PowerEdge R805

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)