Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in SerenityOS Kernel Memory Management

CVE-2019-20172

What is CVE-2019-20172?

A vulnerability exists in SerenityOS that enables local users to exploit certain system calls due to inadequate validation of pointers in the kernel-only virtual address space. By manipulating these pointers, a user can overwrite a return address on the kernel stack, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation. This exploitation risks system integrity and poses significant security threats if not mitigated. Users and administrators should ensure their systems are updated to minimize exposure to this risk.

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