CVE-2012-6704 — kernel: Signed overflows in SO_{SND|RCV}BUF in sock_setsockopt()

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HIGH

kernel: Signed overflows in SO_{SND|RCV}BUF in sock_setsockopt()

Published Dec 28, 2016

7.8

HIGH

CVSS 3.1

EPSS 0.41%

Description

The sock_setsockopt function in net/core/sock.c in the Linux kernel before 3.5 mishandles negative values of sk_sndbuf and sk_rcvbuf, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability for a crafted setsockopt system call with the (1) SO_SNDBUF or (2) SO_RCVBUF option.

Affected products

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

kernel

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

kernel

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

kernel

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

kernel-rt

Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2

realtime-kernel

Not affected

Product	Package	State	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5	kernel	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	kernel	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	kernel	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	kernel-rt	Not affected	n/a
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2	realtime-kernel	Not affected	n/a

Remediation

Red Hat statement

This issue does not affect the kernels as shipping with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, 7, MRG-2 and realtime.

Metrics

0.41% 0.00412

Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.

EPSS probability 0.00412

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 1, 2026	0.41% (0.00412)	33.13th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Jun 15, 2026	0.41% (0.00412)	32.66th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Mar 17, 2025	0.13% (0.00134)	30.59th	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	0.95% (0.00950)	32.28th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Sep 10, 2022	0.95% (0.00950)	30.63th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Apr 1, 2022	0.95% (0.00950)	28.61th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Feb 4, 2022	0.95% (0.00950)	13.46th	v2 (v2022.01.01)

Weaknesses (2)

CWE-119

Buffer Overflow

CWE-190

Integer Overflow

References (8)

http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=82981930125abfd39d7c8378a9cfdf5e1be2002b
x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchVendor Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/03/1
mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95135
vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2012-6704
Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1402024
x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/82981930125abfd39d7c8378a9cfdf5e1be2002b
x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchThird Party Advisory
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6704
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-6704

Link	Providers	Tags
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=82981930125abfd39d7c8378a9cfdf5e1be2002b		x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchVendor Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/03/1		mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing ListThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95135		vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2012-6704		Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1402024		x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/82981930125abfd39d7c8378a9cfdf5e1be2002b		x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchThird Party Advisory
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6704
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-6704