CVE-2017-17052

The mm_init function in kernel/fork.c in the Linux kernel before 4.12.10 does not clear the ->exe_file member of a new process's mm_struct, allowing a local attacker to achieve a use-after-free condition and to induce a kernel memory corruption on the system, leading to a crash or possibly have unspecified other impact by running a specially crafted program. Due to the nature of the flaw, privilege escalation cannot be fully ruled out, although we feel it is unlikely.

This issue does not affect the versions of the Linux kernel as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, and 7, its real-time kernel, Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2, as the code with the flaw is not present in the products listed.

This issue affects the versions of the Linux kernel as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 for ARM 64 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 for Power 9 LE. Future updates for the respective releases may address this issue.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.