CVE-2017-16994
The walk_hugetlb_range function in mm/pagewalk.c in the Linux kernel before 4.14.2 mishandles holes in hugetlb ranges, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from uninitialized kernel memory via crafted use of the mincore() system call.
Does this matter?
3 public exploits are published in Exploit-DB (verified), so the technical barrier is gone even though the severity is medium and EPSS is 2.1%. Treat it as high on anything reachable from the internet.
Description
The walk_hugetlb_range function in mm/pagewalk.c in the Linux kernel before 4.14.2 mishandles holes in hugetlb ranges, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from uninitialized kernel memory via crafted use of the mincore() system call.
- CVSS 3.0
- 5.5 MEDIUMCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- EPSS
- 2.08% probability · 81th percentile
- Public exploits
- 3 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 24 November 2017
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-200
- Affected
- linux/linux kernel
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 2.1% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
Public exploits (3)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
| EDB-ID | Title | Type | Published | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDB-44304source ↗ | Linux Kernel - 'mincore()' Heap Page Disclosure (PoC)linux · anonymous | dos | 11 December 2017 | no |
| EDB-44303source ↗ | Linux Kernel 4.13 (Debian 9) - Local Privilege Escalationlinux · anonymous | local | 11 December 2017 | no |
| EDB-43178source ↗ | Linux Kernel - 'mincore()' Uninitialized Kernel Heap Page Disclosurelinux · Google Security Research | dos | 24 November 2017 | yes |
References
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=373c4557d2aa362702c4c2d41288fb1e54990b7cPatch
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.14.2Release Notes
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101969Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0502
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1431Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/373c4557d2aa362702c4c2d41288fb1e54990b7cPatch
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-3/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3619-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3619-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3632-1/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43178/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=373c4557d2aa362702c4c2d41288fb1e54990b7cPatch
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v4.x/ChangeLog-4.14.2Release Notes
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101969Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:0502
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1431Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/373c4557d2aa362702c4c2d41288fb1e54990b7cPatch
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3617-3/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3619-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3619-2/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3632-1/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/43178/Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.