Linux kernel does not properly save or restore EFLAGS during a context switch, or reset the flags when creating new threads, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (process crash), as demonstrated using a process that sets the Alignment Check flag (EFLAGS 0x40000), which triggers a SIGBUS in other processes that have an unaligned access
Published Oct 17, 2006
2.1
LOWCVSS 2.0
EPSS 0.43%
Description
Linux kernel does not properly save or restore EFLAGS during a context switch, or reset the flags when creating new threads, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (process crash), as demonstrated using a process that sets the Alignment Check flag (EFLAGS 0x40000), which triggers a SIGBUS in other processes that have an unaligned access.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- ≥ 2.4.0 · ≤ 2.6.19
Configuration 2
- 5.10
- 6.06
- 6.10
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
Not Vulnerable. This flaw only affects kernel versions 2.6.14 to 2.6.18. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, and 4 does not ship with a vulnerable kernel version.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 3, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (9 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | 0.43% (0.00435) | 35.61th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 0.41% (0.00412) | 32.60th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.06% (0.00063) | 16.85th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00042) | 5.07th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.04% (0.00042) | 5.63th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.28% (0.01282) | 68.34th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 22, 2023 | 1.28% (0.01282) | 68.05th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.28% (0.01282) | 65.91th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.28% (0.01282) | 41.72th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
No CWE recorded.
References (14)
- http://kernel.org/git/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=47a5c6fa0e204a2b63309c648bb2fde36836c826 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://secunia.com/advisories/23361 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIABroken Link
- http://secunia.com/advisories/23384 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIABroken Link
- http://secunia.com/advisories/23474 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIABroken Link
- http://secunia.com/advisories/23593 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIABroken Link
- http://secunia.com/advisories/25691 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIABroken Link
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2007:002 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MANDRIVABroken Link
- http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2006_79_kernel.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEBroken Link
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/471457 mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/21851 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-395-1 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2006-5173 Vendor Advisory
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2006-5173
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2006-5173
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.