dbcve.org
Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2000-0506

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2000-06-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The "capabilities" feature in Linux before 2.2.16 allows local users to cause a denial of service or gain privileges by setting the capabilities to prevent a setuid program from dropping privileges, aka the "Linux kernel setuid/setcap vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Linux kernel's capabilities implementation before version 2.2.16 contains a flaw where local users can set capabilities on files in a way that prevents setuid programs from properly dropping privileges. This allows local privilege escalation or denial of service by exploiting the interaction between setuid binaries and the capabilities feature.

MitigationUpgrade the Linux kernel to version 2.2.16 or later, which contains the patched capabilities implementation that properly handles privilege dropping for setuid programs.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:= 2.0= 2.0.30= 2.0.33= 2.0.34= 2.0.35= 2.0.36= 2.0.37= 2.0.38= 2.1= 2.2.0= 2.2.10= 2.2.12

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the running kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to display the kernel version
    Affected if The version is 2.2.x below 2.2.16, any 2.2.0/2.2.10/2.2.12, or any 2.0.x/2.1.x series listed in affected versions
  2. Check if file capabilities are in use
    Run 'getcap -r / 2>/dev/null' to list files with extended capabilities set
    Affected if Any files have capabilities assigned and the kernel version is among the affected versions listed
  3. Identify setuid binaries on the system
    Run 'find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null' to list setuid programs
    Affected if Setuid binaries exist and the kernel is a vulnerable version, creating potential for privilege escalation via capability manipulation
  4. Verify capability handling in the kernel
    Check /proc/filesystems or run 'cat /proc/1/status | grep Cap' to see if Linux capabilities are enabled
    Affected if Capabilities are enabled and the kernel version is in the affected range (pre-2.2.16)
  5. Inspect capability-related system calls
    Review system logs for capability-related errors or use 'strace' on setuid programs to observe capability handling behavior
    Affected if Setuid programs fail to drop privileges properly, indicating the vulnerability is present

A system is affected if it runs a Linux kernel version 2.0.x, 2.1.x, or 2.2.x below 2.2.16 (specifically 2.2.0, 2.2.10, or 2.2.12) and utilizes the Linux capabilities feature with setuid binaries present.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 2.2.16 or later, which contains the patched capabilities implementation that properly handles privilege dropping for setuid programs.

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux kernel 2.2.16 or later (or migrate to a modern supported kernel version)

  1. 1. Back up all critical data and system configurations before kernel upgrade
  2. 2. Obtain Linux kernel version 2.2.16 or later from a trusted source such as kernel.org
  3. 3. Compile and install the new kernel following standard procedures for your distribution
  4. 4. Update bootloader configuration (e.g., LILO, GRUB) to include the new kernel entry
  5. 5. Reboot system into the new kernel
  6. 6. Verify the kernel version with 'uname -a' to confirm upgrade was successful
  7. 7. Test that critical system services and applications function properly
Caveat Upgrading from 2.0.x to 2.2.x or modern kernels may require significant system changes - older kernel APIs, drivers, and system libraries may be incompatible; thorough testing recommended

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2000-0506 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2000-0506 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data