kernel: epoll: can leak file descriptors when returning -ELOOP
Published Oct 3, 2012
4.9
MEDIUMCVSS 2.0
EPSS 1.02%
Description
The epoll_ctl system call in fs/eventpoll.c in the Linux kernel before 3.2.24 does not properly handle ELOOP errors in EPOLL_CTL_ADD operations, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor consumption and system crash) via a crafted application that attempts to create a circular epoll dependency. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2011-1083.
Affected products
No data.
- ≤ 3.2.23
- 3.0.1
- 3.0.2
- 3.0.3
- 3.0.4
- 3.0.5
- 3.0.6
- 3.0.7
- 3.0.8
- 3.0.9
- 3.0.10
- 3.0.11
- 3.0.12
- 3.0.13
- 3.0.14
- 3.0.15
- 3.0.16
- 3.0.17
- 3.0.18
- 3.0.19
- 3.0.20
- 3.0.21
- 3.0.22
- 3.0.23
- 3.0.24
- 3.0.25
- 3.0.26
- 3.0.27
- 3.0.28
- 3.0.29
- 3.0.30
- 3.0.31
- 3.0.32
- 3.0.33
- 3.0.34
- 3.1.1
- 3.1.2
- 3.1.3
- 3.1.4
- 3.1.5
- 3.1.6
- 3.1.7
- 3.1.8
- 3.1.9
- 3.1.10
- 3.2.1
- 3.2.2
- 3.2.3
- 3.2.4
- 3.2.5
- 3.2.6
- 3.2.7
- 3.2.8
- 3.2.9
- 3.2.10
- 3.2.11
- 3.2.12
- 3.2.13
- 3.2.14
- 3.2.15
- 3.2.16
- 3.2.17
- 3.2.18
- 3.2.19
- 3.2.20
- 3.2.21
- 3.2.22
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
kernel-0:2.6.18-308.11.1.el5
Fixed · RHSA-2012:1061
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2
kernel-rt-0:3.0.36-rt57.66.el6rt
Fixed · RHSA-2012:1150
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
kernel
Affected
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | kernel-0:2.6.18-308.11.1.el5 | Fixed | RHSA-2012:1061 |
| Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 | kernel-rt-0:3.0.36-rt57.66.el6rt | Fixed | RHSA-2012:1150 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | kernel | Affected | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue did not affect the versions of the Linux kernel as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, since updates fixing CVE-2011-1083 contained a corrected patch that did not introduce this regression. This has been addressed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 via https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1061.html, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 via https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1150.html
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:C
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 1, 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 (11 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 1.02% (0.01017) | 61.99th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 1.02% (0.01020) | 58.76th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.10% (0.00104) | 26.06th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.05% (0.00053) | 22.63th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 0.05% (0.00053) | 20.80th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.05% (0.00053) | 18.77th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 3.22% (0.03220) | 84.21th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Dec 18, 2022 | 3.22% (0.03220) | 83.84th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Sep 16, 2022 | 3.52% (0.03516) | 84.16th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 3.53% (0.03534) | 83.33th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 3.53% (0.03534) | 66.49th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
No CWE recorded.
References (12)
- http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=13d518074a952d33d47c428419693f63389547e9 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://secunia.com/advisories/51164 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIA
- http://ubuntu.com/usn/usn-1529-1 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.2.24 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/07/04/2 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027237 vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACK
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2012-3375 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=837502 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue Tracking
- https://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100165733 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/13d518074a952d33d47c428419693f63389547e9 x_refsource_CONFIRMExploit
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-3375
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-3375
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=13d518074a952d33d47c428419693f63389547e9 | x_refsource_CONFIRM | |
| http://secunia.com/advisories/51164 | third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIA | |
| http://ubuntu.com/usn/usn-1529-1 | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU | |
| http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.2.24 | x_refsource_CONFIRM | |
| http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/07/04/2 | mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST | |
| http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027237 | vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACK | |
| https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2012-3375 | Vendor Advisory | |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=837502 | x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue Tracking | |
| https://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100165733 | x_refsource_CONFIRM | |
| https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/13d518074a952d33d47c428419693f63389547e9 | x_refsource_CONFIRMExploit | |
| https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-3375 | ||
| https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-3375 |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.