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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2004-1144

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 2004-12-31
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
Unknown vulnerability in the 32bit emulation code in Linux 2.4 on AMD64 systems 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 · moderate confidence

Vulnerability in the ia32 (32-bit) emulation layer of Linux 2.4 kernels on AMD64 (x86-64) architecture allows local authenticated users to elevate privileges to root. The flaw exists in how the kernel handles 32-bit system call emulation on 64-bit AMD processors.

MitigationUpgrade the Linux 2.4 kernel to a patched version (if available) or migrate to a supported kernel version. For legacy systems, consider isolating the host and restricting local access.

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:= 2.4.0

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. Identify system architecture
    Run 'uname -m' or 'arch' to determine if the system is running on AMD64/x86-64 hardware
    Affected if The architecture shows x86_64 or amd64 - the vulnerability only affects 32-bit emulation on 64-bit AMD processors
  2. Determine kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check '/proc/version' to identify the installed Linux kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version begins with 2.4 (e.g., 2.4.x) - this CVE affects Linux 2.4 kernels on AMD64
  3. Check if ia32 emulation subsystem is present
    Look for ia32-related kernel modules or configuration: check '/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/arch/x86_64/kernel/' for ia32 or compat modules, or check if the system has /usr/lib32 or similar 32-bit compatibility directories
    Affected if The ia32 emulation layer is loaded or available on the system - the vulnerability exists in this emulation layer

The system is affected if it runs Linux kernel 2.4.x on AMD64/x86-64 hardware with the ia32 emulation subsystem enabled or 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

Upgrade the Linux 2.4 kernel to a patched version (if available) or migrate to a supported kernel version. For legacy systems, consider isolating the host and restricting local access.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2004-1144 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