CVE-2014-8173

Name: CVE-2014-8173
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2015-03-16T10:59:03.943+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 0.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2014-8173 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. The pmd_none_or_trans_huge_or_clear_bad function in include/asm-generic/pgtable.h in the Linux kernel before 3.13 on NUMA systems does not properly determine whether a Page Middle Directory (PMD) entry is a transparent huge-table entry, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted MADV_WILLNEED madvise system call that leverages the absence of a page-table lock.. EPSS estimates a 0.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The pmd_none_or_trans_huge_or_clear_bad function in include/asm-generic/pgtable.h in the Linux kernel before 3.13 on NUMA systems does not properly determine whether a Page Middle Directory (PMD) entry is a transparent huge-table entry, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted MADV_WILLNEED madvise system call that leverages the absence of a page-table lock.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.40%

32.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 3.9, < 3.10.76
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 3.11, < 3.12.43

References

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=ee53664bda169f519ce3c6a22d378f0b946c8178Broken Link
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-04/msg00009.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0290.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0694.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1198457Issue Tracking
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/ee53664bda169f519ce3c6a22d378f0b946c8178Third Party Advisory
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=ee53664bda169f519ce3c6a22d378f0b946c8178Broken Link
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-04/msg00009.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0290.htmlThird Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0694.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1198457Issue Tracking
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/ee53664bda169f519ce3c6a22d378f0b946c8178Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 16, 2015
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-8173?

How severe is CVE-2014-8173?

Severity scoring for CVE-2014-8173 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2014-8173?

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-2014-8173?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST