kernel: memory leak when merging buffers in SCSI IO vectors
Published Nov 22, 2017
6.5
MEDIUMCVSS 3.0
EPSS 0.53%
Description
The bio_map_user_iov and bio_unmap_user functions in block/bio.c in the Linux kernel before 4.13.8 do unbalanced refcounting when a SCSI I/O vector has small consecutive buffers belonging to the same page. The bio_add_pc_page function merges them into one, but the page reference is never dropped. This causes a memory leak and possible system lockup (exploitable against the host OS by a guest OS user, if a SCSI disk is passed through to a virtual machine) due to an out-of-memory condition.
Affected products
- Vendor n/a Product Linux kernel through v4.14-rc5 Defaultn/a
- Version Linux kernel through v4.14-rc5StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n/a | Linux kernel through v4.14-rc5 | n/a |
|
- ≤ 4.13.7
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
kernel-0:2.6.32-754.el6
Fixed · RHSA-2018:1854
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-0:3.10.0-862.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2018:1062
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-alt-0:4.14.0-49.el7a
Fixed · RHSA-2018:0654
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-rt-0:3.10.0-862.rt56.804.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2018:0676
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.4 Extended Update Support
kernel-0:3.10.0-693.47.2.el7
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1170
Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2
kernel-rt-1:3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1190
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
kernel
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | kernel-0:2.6.32-754.el6 | Fixed | RHSA-2018:1854 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-0:3.10.0-862.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2018:1062 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-alt-0:4.14.0-49.el7a | Fixed | RHSA-2018:0654 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-rt-0:3.10.0-862.rt56.804.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2018:0676 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.4 Extended Update Support | kernel-0:3.10.0-693.47.2.el7 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1170 |
| Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2 | kernel-rt-1:3.10.0-693.47.2.rt56.641.el6rt | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1190 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | kernel | Will not fix | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue affects the Linux kernel packages as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. This is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates of the product due to its life cycle. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/. This issue affects the Linux kernel packages as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7 and MRG-2. Future updates for the respective releases may address this issue.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
1 other source (Red Hat) ▾
CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
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 4, 2026.
Score over time
2021-2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (14 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed. Showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 2026 | 0.53% (0.00531) | 42.85th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 0.53% (0.00531) | 40.39th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.04% (0.00037) | 7.90th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.06% (0.00064) | 30.08th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jun 21, 2024 | 0.06% (0.00064) | 28.17th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.06% (0.00064) | 26.16th | 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) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 4.27% (0.04270) | 74.64th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 4.27% (0.04270) | 74.43th | v1 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | 4.27% (0.04270) | 83.53th | v1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 4.27% (0.04270) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (23)
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=2b04e8f6bbb196cab4b232af0f8d48ff2c7a8058 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingPatchVendor Advisory
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=95d78c28b5a85bacbc29b8dba7c04babb9b0d467 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingPatchVendor Advisory
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2017/q4/52 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.13.8 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101911 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDIssue TrackingThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0654 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0676 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1062 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:1854 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1170 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1190 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2017-12190 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1495089 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingPatchThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/2b04e8f6bbb196cab4b232af0f8d48ff2c7a8058 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingPatchThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/95d78c28b5a85bacbc29b8dba7c04babb9b0d467 x_refsource_CONFIRMIssue TrackingPatchThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2017/12/msg00004.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12190
- https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K93472064?utm_source=f5support&%3Butm_medium=RSS x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3582-1/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3582-2/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3583-1/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3583-2/ vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-12190
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.