Home/CVE/The check_alu_op function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4 allows local users to cause a denial
CVE

CVE-2017-16995

The check_alu_op function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4 allows local users to cause a denial

The check_alu_op function in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4 allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging incorrect sign extension.

HIGH · CVSS 7.8 EPSS 0.84048
Act now
  • EPSS ≥ 0.50 - high probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
  • EPSS percentile: top 1% of all CVEs by exploitation likelihood
  • Reliable Metasploit module available (rank: Great) - weaponised exploit code
  • Public exploit or PoC is available
  • CVSS base score ≥ 7.0
Sigma rules0 YARA rules0
Look this up elsewhere - one-click external pivots
NVDCVE.orgCISAVulnersExploit-DBGitHub PoCVulnCheck KEVGreyNoise
▸ How to read a CVE - triage first, then detect and patch
This page is every public fact about CVE-2017-16995, cross-linked. Its job is to answer one question fast - does this need my attention now? - and then hand you the two things you do about it. Here is how an analyst reads it.
Triage: should I act now? Four signals, and they are not interchangeable:
CVSSseverity - how bad it is IF exploited, 0-10. A high CVSS alone is not urgency; a flaw can be a perfect 10 and never actually be attacked. EPSSprobability - a model’s estimate of the chance it is exploited in the next 30 days, 0-1. This is the “will it actually happen” signal. CISA KEVconfirmed - it is being exploited in the wild right now. The strongest signal on the page; KEV beats any score. Weaponisedavailability - public exploits / PoCs, and especially Metasploit modules rated Excellent / Great. Reliable, packaged exploit code means low-skill attackers can use it today.
How they combine: KEV, or a dependable Metasploit module, means patch now regardless of CVSS. High CVSS + low EPSS + no exploit is real but not an emergency - schedule it. Low CVSS but KEV-listed still gets patched now. The verdict above already weighed these for you; this is how it got there.
Then what - two workflows:
Detectwhen you cannot patch today, follow this CVE to the ATT&CK techniques it enables, then Build a SIEM detection (the green button) - author a rule, test it in Atomic, deploy it. That buys visibility while the patch waits. PatchAffected products / packages tell you if you are exposed; Fixed versions by distribution and Vendor advisories give the exact version that closes it.
Reading order for the panels below: verdict + badges, then Public exploits / Metasploit (is it weaponised), then ATT&CK techniques + Sigma / IDS rules (can I detect it), then Affected products / packages + Fixed versions (am I exposed, what patches it), then Threat actors / IOCs (who uses it), then Scoring & timeline / references (the evidence).
◆

ATT&CK techniques

1

Techniques this CVE enables - linked via CWECAPECATT&CK. High◆ = named directly in ATT&CK or Nuclei templates.

T1068 · Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
▤ Build a SIEM detection for these techniques
▤

CAPEC attack patterns

12

Attack patterns this CVE enables - the bridge from weakness to ATT&CK technique.

CAPEC-CAPEC-10 · Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables CAPEC-CAPEC-100 · Overflow Buffers CAPEC-CAPEC-123 · Buffer Manipulation CAPEC-CAPEC-14 · Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow CAPEC-CAPEC-24 · Filter Failure through Buffer Overflow CAPEC-CAPEC-42 · MIME Conversion CAPEC-CAPEC-44 · Overflow Binary Resource File CAPEC-CAPEC-45 · Buffer Overflow via Symbolic Links CAPEC-CAPEC-46 · Overflow Variables and Tags CAPEC-CAPEC-47 · Buffer Overflow via Parameter Expansion CAPEC-CAPEC-8 · Buffer Overflow in an API Call CAPEC-CAPEC-9 · Buffer Overflow in Local Command-Line Utilities
⬡

Weakness Classification

CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
▤

Affected Products & Versions

4
linux kernel>= 4.9 and < 4.9.72
linux kernel>= 4.10 and < 4.14.9
debian linuxall versions
canonical ubuntu linuxall versions
▤

Affected Packages

40
Language-ecosystem packages (from OSV) tied to this CVE, with the version that fixes it - the dependency-level detail NVD doesn’t carry.
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux fixed in 3.11.0-12.19
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-aws fixed in 4.4.0-1016.16
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-azure fixed in 4.15.0-1023.24~14.04.1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS linux-lts-xenial fixed in 4.4.0-119.143~14.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux fixed in 4.4.0-119.143
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-aws fixed in 4.4.0-1054.63
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-aws-hwe fixed in 4.15.0-1030.31~16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-azure fixed in 4.13.0-1005.7
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-euclid fixed in 4.4.0-9026.28
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-gcp fixed in 4.13.0-1006.9
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-hwe fixed in 4.13.0-32.35~16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-kvm fixed in 4.4.0-1020.25
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-oem fixed in 4.13.0-1015.16
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-oracle fixed in 4.15.0-1007.9~16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-raspi2 fixed in 4.4.0-1086.94
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS linux-snapdragon fixed in 4.4.0-1088.93
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux fixed in 4.13.0-25.29
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws fixed in 4.15.0-1001.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-aws-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1018.18~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure fixed in 4.15.0-1002.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-4.15 fixed in 4.15.0-1082.92
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-azure-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1020.20~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp fixed in 4.15.0-1001.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp-4.15 fixed in 4.15.0-1071.81
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-gcp-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1019.19~18.04.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-hwe-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-37.41~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-hwe-edge fixed in 5.0.0-15.16~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-ibm-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1010.11~18.04.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-kvm fixed in 4.15.0-1002.2
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oem fixed in 4.15.0-1002.3
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle fixed in 4.15.0-1007.9
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-oracle-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1019.19~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-raspi-5.4 fixed in 5.4.0-1013.13~18.04.1
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS linux-raspi2 fixed in 4.15.0-1006.7
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux fixed in 5.4.0-9.12
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws fixed in 5.4.0-1005.5
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-aws-5.15 fixed in 5.15.0-1014.18~20.04.1
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure fixed in 5.4.0-1006.6
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-5.15 fixed in 5.15.0-1007.8~20.04.1
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS linux-azure-fde
⚠

Public Exploits & PoCs

21
These PoC and exploit links come from public sources and are not verified to be safe or functional. Review the code before running anything, and treat unverified entries as untrusted.
localLinux - BPF Sign Extension Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit)verified
localLinux Kernel < 4.13.9 (Ubuntu 16.04 / Fedora 27) - Local Privilege Escalationverified
localLinux Kernel < 4.4.0-116 (Ubuntu 16.04.4) - Local Privilege Escalation2018-03-16
pocAl1ex/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocph4ntonn/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocgugronnier/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocsenyuuri/cve-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocvnik5287/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
poclittlebin404/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocC0dak/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocLumindu/CVE-2017-16995-Linux-Kernel---BPF-Sign-Extension-Local-Privilege-Escalation- (nomi-sec)
pocivilpez/cve-2017-16995.c (nomi-sec)
pocfei9747/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocanldori/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocmareks1007/cve-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocZhiQiAnSecFork/cve-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
pocxxxTectationxxx/CVE-2017-16995 (nomi-sec)
poc0dayhunter/Linux-exploit-suggester (trickest)
pocwww.exploit-db.com · 44298www.exploit-db.com
pocwww.exploit-db.com · 45010www.exploit-db.com
pocwww.exploit-db.com · 45058www.exploit-db.com
📦

Fixed versions by distribution

14
The package version that resolves this CVE on each Linux distribution, from the vendor’s published security data. fixed in shows a patched version exists; open means the package is listed as affected with no fix yet.
suse sle15kernel-azure-base fixed in 0:4.12.14-8.30.1
suse sle15kernel-default fixed in 0:4.12.14-195.1
suse sle15kernel-default-base fixed in 0:4.12.14-195.1
suse sle15kernel-default-extra fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
suse sle15kernel-default-man fixed in 0:4.12.14-197.40.1
suse sle15kernel-docs fixed in 0:4.12.14-195.1
suse sle15kernel-macros fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
suse sle15kernel-obs-build fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
suse sle15kernel-source fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
suse sle15kernel-source-azure fixed in 0:4.12.14-5.47.1
suse sle15kernel-syms fixed in 0:4.12.14-195.1
suse sle15kernel-vanilla-base fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
suse sle15kernel-zfcpdump fixed in 0:4.12.14-195.1
suse sle15reiserfs-kmp-default fixed in 0:4.12.14-23.1
⚙

Metasploit Modules

1
Weaponised exploit modules in the Metasploit Framework. Rank is Metasploit’s reliability rating - Excellent/Great/Good means dependable, real-world exploit code (a strong “act now” signal), not a fragile PoC.
Greatexploit/linux/local/bpf_sign_extension_priv_esc2017-11-12
▣

Scoring & Timeline

7.8
HIGH · CVSS v3.1 · [email protected]
View on NVD
Attack Vector
Network Adjacent Local Physical
Attack Complexity
Low High
Privileges Required
None Low High
User Interaction
None Required
Scope
Unchanged Changed
Confidentiality
None Low High
Integrity
None Low High
Availability
None Low High
Published to NVD27 Dec 2017 · 05:08 PM
CVSS VectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
⚑

Vendor Advisories

8
suse-csafopenSUSE-SU-2024:10728-1
suse-csafopenSUSE-SU-2024:13704-1
usnUSN-3633-1
usnUSN-3619-2
usnUSN-3619-1
🔗

References & Sources

11
Source URLs (vendor pages, mailing lists, write-ups). Exploit/PoC links are in their own section above to avoid duplication.
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=95a762e2c8c942780948091f8f2a4f32fce1ac6fVendor Advisory
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/12/21/2Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102288Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1454Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip.git/commit/?id=a6132276ab5dcc38b3299082efeb25b948263adbVendor Advisory
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/95a762e2c8c942780948091f8f2a4f32fce1ac6fThird Party Advisory
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