CVE-2019-19816
Description
A flaw was found in the implementation of the BTRFS file system code in the Linux kernel. An attacker, who is able to mount a crafted BTRFS filesystem and perform common filesystem operations, can possibly cause an out-of-bounds write to memory. This could lead to memory corruption or privilege escalation.
Statement
The vulnerability is considered moderate rather than important because it requires specific conditions to be exploited. An attacker must have physical access to the system and be able to mount a crafted BTRFS filesystem, which limits the potential attack vectors and also a local account to abuse the use-after-free. Additionally, the flaw involves an out-of-bounds write when handling RAID56 metadata, which could lead to memory corruption, but exploitation for privilege escalation is not straightforward due to mitigations like kernel address space layout randomization (KASLR). As a result, the impact is more constrained, affecting system stability rather than directly allowing unauthorized access or significant data compromise.
Mitigation
As the BTRFS module will be auto-loaded when required, its use can be disabled by preventing the module from loading with the following instructions:
# echo "install btrfs /bin/true" >> /etc/modprobe.d/disable-btrfs.conf
The system will need to be restarted if the BTRFS modules are loaded, it may be possible to unload them. In most circumstances, the BTRFS kernel modules will be unable to be unloaded while any BTRFS filesystems are mounted or in use.
If the system requires this module to work correctly, this mitigation may not be suitable.
If you need further assistance, see KCS article https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41278 or contact Red Hat Global Support Services.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.8 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | None | N/A |
| User Interaction | Required | Required | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | High | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
