USN-3522-2: Linux (Xenial HWE) vulnerability
9 January 2018
Several security issues were fixed in the Linux kernel.
Releases
Packages
- linux-aws - Linux kernel for Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems
- linux-lts-xenial - Linux hardware enablement kernel from Xenial for Trusty
Details
USN-3522-1 fixed vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel for Ubuntu 16.04
LTS. This update provides the corresponding updates for the Linux
Hardware Enablement (HWE) kernel from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS for Ubuntu
14.04 LTS.
Jann Horn discovered that microprocessors utilizing speculative execution
and indirect branch prediction may allow unauthorized memory reads via
sidechannel attacks. This flaw is known as Meltdown. A local attacker could
use this to expose sensitive information, including kernel memory.
(CVE-2017-5754)
Update instructions
The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:
Ubuntu 14.04
-
linux-image-4.4.0-1009-aws
-
4.4.0-1009.9
-
linux-image-4.4.0-108-generic
-
4.4.0-108.131~14.04.1
-
linux-image-4.4.0-108-lowlatency
-
4.4.0-108.131~14.04.1
After a standard system update you need to reboot your computer to make
all the necessary changes.
ATTENTION: Due to an unavoidable ABI change the kernel updates have
been given a new version number, which requires you to recompile and
reinstall all third party kernel modules you might have installed.
Unless you manually uninstalled the standard kernel metapackages
(e.g. linux-generic, linux-generic-lts-RELEASE, linux-virtual,
linux-powerpc), a standard system upgrade will automatically perform
this as well.