fs/eventpoll.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.38 places epoll file descriptors within other epoll data structures without properly…

Description

fs/eventpoll.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.38 places epoll file descriptors within other epoll data structures without properly checking for (1) closed loops or (2) deep chains, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (deadlock or stack memory consumption) via a crafted application that makes epoll_create and epoll_ctl system calls.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.78% · top 44% of all CVEs (2 Nov 2026)

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The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 4.9.

Weakness

• n/a
• CWE-400 (opens in a new tab)

Affected products

• n/a

  • affected n/a

References (6)

• [oss-security] 20110302 Re: CVE request: kernel: Multiple DoS issues in epoll (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• [linux-kernel] 20110205 [PATCH] epoll: Prevent deadlock through unsafe ->f_op->poll() calls. (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=681575 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20110301 CVE request: kernel: Multiple DoS issues in epoll (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=22bacca48a1755f79b7e0f192ddb9fbb7fc6e64e (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.38 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Record last updated 6 Aug 2024, 22:14 UTC.