USN-3522-1: Linux kernel vulnerability

9 January 2018

Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.

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Releases

Packages

  • linux - Linux kernel
  • linux-aws - Linux kernel for Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems
  • linux-euclid - Linux kernel for Intel Euclid systems
  • linux-kvm - Linux kernel for cloud environments

Details

Jann Horn discovered that microprocessors utilizing speculative execution
and indirect branch prediction may allow unauthorized memory reads via
sidechannel attacks. This flaw is known as Meltdown. A local attacker could
use this to expose sensitive information, including kernel memory.

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Ubuntu Pro provides ten-year security coverage to 25,000+ packages in Main and Universe repositories, and it is free for up to five machines.

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Update instructions

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu 16.04

After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make
all the necessary changes.

ATTENTION: Due to an unavoidable ABI change the kernel updates have
been given a new version number, which requires you to recompile and
reinstall all third party kernel modules you might have installed.
Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages
(e.g. linux-generic, linux-generic-lts-RELEASE, linux-virtual,
linux-powerpc), a standard system upgrade will automatically perform
this as well.

References

Related notices

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