5.5

CVE-2015-8970: linux linux_kernel NULL Pointer Dereference

Modified
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2015-8970DEBIAN-CVE-2015-8970
Published 28-11-2016Last modified 06-08-2024

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2015-8970 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in linux linux_kernel. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 44.1% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Routine

Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
5.5/10
010
Medium · v3.0 (NVD)
EPSS score
0.52%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 7 · Related 3
RHSA-2017:1842RHSA-2017:2077RHSA-2017:2437RHSA-2017:2444SUSE-SU-2017:0494-1SUSE-SU-2017:1301-1

Timeline

  1. 28-11-2016
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 06-08-2024
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

crypto/algif_skcipher.c in the Linux kernel before 4.4.2 does not verify that a setkey operation has been performed on an AF_ALG socket before an accept system call is processed, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) via a crafted application that does not supply a key, related to the lrw_crypt function in crypto/lrw.c.

CVSS metrics

4 scores · 3 sources · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

0.52%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

44%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 0.52% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu11 products
  • linuxAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-azure-fdeAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-gkeAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-gkeopAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-gkeop-5.15All versions (No fix recorded)
Debian1 product
  • linux< 4.4.2-1
Linux1 product

3 vendors · 13 products

References

16 links
Show all 16 references