CVE-2010-3081

Name: CVE-2010-3081
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2010-09-24T20:00:02.183+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 3.53%

Last modified Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2010-3081 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. The compat_alloc_user_space functions in include/asm/compat.h files in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36-rc4-git2 on 64-bit platforms do not properly allocate the userspace memory required for the 32-bit compatibility layer, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the compat_mc_getsockopt function (aka the MCAST_MSFILTER getsockopt support) to control a certain length value, related to a "stack pointer underflow" issue, as exploited in the wild in September 2010.. EPSS estimates a 3.53% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The compat_alloc_user_space functions in include/asm/compat.h files in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36-rc4-git2 on 64-bit platforms do not properly allocate the userspace memory required for the 32-bit compatibility layer, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the compat_mc_getsockopt function (aka the MCAST_MSFILTER getsockopt support) to control a certain length value, related to a "stack pointer underflow" issue, as exploited in the wild in September 2010.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

3.53%

87.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	<= 2.6.35.4	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	2.6.36	—
Vmware	Esx	4.0	—
Vmware	Esx	4.1	—
Suse	Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop	11	Sp1
Suse	Suse Linux Enterprise Server	11	Sp1

References

http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2010-09/0273.htmlBroken Link
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2010-09/0278.htmlBroken Link
http://blog.ksplice.com/2010/09/cve-2010-3081/Broken Link
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=c41d68a513c71e35a14f66d71782d27a79a81ea6
http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9574Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-09/msg00006.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-10/msg00003.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-02/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=128461522230211&w=2Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/42384Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/43315Broken Link
http://sota.gen.nz/compat1/Broken Link
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/snapshots/patch-2.6.36-rc4-git2.logBroken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:198Broken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:214Broken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:247Broken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0758.htmlBroken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0842.htmlBroken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0882.htmlBroken Link
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/514938/30/30/threadedThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/516397/100/0/threadedThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2010-0017.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2011-0003.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/3083Broken Link
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/3117Broken Link
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0298Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-40265Exploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=634457Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2010-09/0273.htmlBroken Link
http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2010-09/0278.htmlBroken Link
http://blog.ksplice.com/2010/09/cve-2010-3081/Broken Link
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=c41d68a513c71e35a14f66d71782d27a79a81ea6
http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9574Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-09/msg00006.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-10/msg00003.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2011-02/msg00000.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=128461522230211&w=2Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/42384Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/43315Broken Link
http://sota.gen.nz/compat1/Broken Link
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/snapshots/patch-2.6.36-rc4-git2.logBroken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:198Broken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:214Broken Link
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:247Broken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0758.htmlBroken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0842.htmlBroken Link
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0882.htmlBroken Link
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/514938/30/30/threadedThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/516397/100/0/threadedThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2010-0017.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2011-0003.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/3083Broken Link
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/3117Broken Link
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2011/0298Broken Link
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-40265Exploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=634457Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 24, 2010
Last Modified: Jun 16, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2010-3081?

How severe is CVE-2010-3081?

CVE-2010-3081 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.53% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2010-3081?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2010-3081?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST