Kernel: ptrace: potential privilege escalation in user namespaces
Published Feb 8, 2016
7.0
HIGHCVSS 3.0
EPSS 0.40%
Description
kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4.1 mishandles uid and gid mappings, which allows local users to gain privileges by establishing a user namespace, waiting for a root process to enter that namespace with an unsafe uid or gid, and then using the ptrace system call. NOTE: the vendor states "there is no kernel bug here.
Affected products
No data.
- ≤ 4.4.1
No data.
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 |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue does not affect the versions of the kernel package as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 6, 7 and Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/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 (10 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 0.40% (0.00398) | 31.53th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 0.40% (0.00398) | 31.30th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.10% (0.00098) | 25.08th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 11.89th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 2, 2024 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 10.25th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.04% (0.00044) | 8.24th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.55% (0.01547) | 74.98th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 23, 2023 | 1.55% (0.01547) | 74.94th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.55% (0.01547) | 72.92th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.55% (0.01547) | 51.82th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (28)
- http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-February/176484.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORA
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00015.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00019.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00025.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00026.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00027.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00028.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00029.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00030.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00031.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00032.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00033.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00034.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00036.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00037.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00005.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
- http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=145204362722256&w=2 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=145204641422813&w=2 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3434 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIAN
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/17/12 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/31/5 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79899 vdb-entryx_refsource_BID
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034899 vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACK
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2015-8709 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1295287 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue Tracking
- https://lkml.org/lkml/2015/12/25/71 mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-8709
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-8709
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.