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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2004-0228

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 2004-08-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Integer signedness error in the cpufreq proc handler (cpufreq_procctl) in Linux kernel 2.6 allows local users to gain privileges.

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

Integer signedness error in the cpufreq_procctl function within the Linux kernel 2.6 cpufreq proc handler allows local unprivileged users to manipulate integer values in a way that leads to privilege escalation, likely through memory corruption or improper bounds checking.

MitigationApply the relevant kernel security patch (typically backported from later kernel versions) to address the signedness issue in cpufreq_procctl, then rebuild and deploy the patched kernel.

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:= 2.6.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/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. Determine the running kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to get the exact kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version is exactly 2.6.0 or an unpatched 2.6.x release prior to the security fix
  2. Verify cpufreq subsystem is enabled
    Check if the cpufreq subsystem is active by looking for /proc/cpufreq or by running `lsmod | grep cpufreq`, or check kernel config for CONFIG_CPU_FREQ
    Affected if cpufreq is compiled in or loaded as a module and the kernel is 2.6.0
  3. Check for the cpufreq proc interface
    Inspect /proc/cpufreq (or /proc/driver/cpufreq on some systems) to confirm the proc interface exists
    Affected if The cpufreq proc interface is present and the kernel version is vulnerable
  4. Verify the cpufreq_procctl function is present
    Check the kernel symbol table with `cat /proc/kallsyms` or `System.map` for cpufreq_procctl symbol, or examine the kernel source if accessible
    Affected if The cpufreq_procctl function symbol exists in the running kernel and the version is 2.6.0

A system is affected if it runs Linux kernel 2.6.0 with the cpufreq subsystem enabled and the vulnerable cpufreq_procctl function 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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the relevant kernel security patch (typically backported from later kernel versions) to address the signedness issue in cpufreq_procctl, then rebuild and deploy the patched kernel.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2004-0228 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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