RHBA-2013:0012 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

Updated kexec-tools packages that fix multiple bugs and add one enhancement are
now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

Description

The kexec fastboot mechanism allows booting a Linux kernel from the context of
an already running kernel. The kexec-tools package provides the /sbin/kexec
binary and ancillary utilities that form the user-space component of the
kernel's kexec feature.

These updated kexec-tools packages include numerous bug fixes and one
enhancement. Space precludes documenting all of these changes in this advisory.
Users are directed to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 Technical Notes for
information on the most significant of these changes:

https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/5/html/5.9_Technical_Notes/kexec-tools.html#RHBA-2013-0012

All users of kexec-tools are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which
fix these bugs and add this enhancement.

Solution

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

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/articles/11258

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 716340 - /dev/sdX name if different in second kernel which casue kdump hange at waiting for incorrect dev_name
• BZ - 732128 - kdump wrongly says 'No crashkernel parameter specified for running kernel' - requested crash kernel memory allocation silently fails
• BZ - 788678 - mkdumprd doesn't detect /var mounted on separate partion and kdump kernel fails
• BZ - 801496 - mkdumrd does not allow remote dumping if remote user has a restricted shell (rksh)
• BZ - 813345 - kdump.conf does not accept 'auto' as a filesystem type

CVEs

(none)

References

• https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/5/html/5.9_Technical_Notes/kexec-tools.html#RHBA-2013-0012