CVE-2020-10711 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A NULL pointer dereference flaw in the Linux kernel's SELinux subsystem before version 5.7 allows a remote network user to crash the system kernel, resulting in a denial of service.

Understanding CVE-2020-10711

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the SELinux subsystem of the Linux kernel that can be exploited by a remote attacker to cause a denial of service.

What is CVE-2020-10711?

A NULL pointer dereference flaw in the Linux kernel's SELinux subsystem before version 5.7 allows a remote network user to crash the system kernel, resulting in a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2020-10711

CVSS Base Score: 5.9 (Medium)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Availability Impact: High
CWE ID: CWE-476

Technical Details of CVE-2020-10711

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw occurs during the import of the Commercial IP Security Option (CIPSO) protocol's category bitmap into the SELinux extensible bitmap, leading to a NULL pointer dereference issue.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Kernel
Vendor: Red Hat
Affected Versions: All kernel versions before 5.7

Exploitation Mechanism

The issue arises while processing the CIPSO restricted bitmap tag in the 'cipso_v4_parsetag_rbm' routine, causing a NULL pointer dereference when importing the category bitmap into SELinux.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-10711 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary security updates provided by Red Hat.
Monitor vendor advisories for patches and apply them promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch your systems to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network security measures to restrict access and prevent remote attacks.

Patching and Updates

Red Hat has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Ensure you apply these patches to secure your systems.