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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2005-0176

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2005-02-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 shmctl function in Linux 2.6.9 and earlier allows local users to unlock the memory of other processes, which could cause sensitive memory to be swapped to disk, which could allow it to be read by other users once it has been released.

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 shmctl function in Linux kernel 2.6.9 and earlier contains a permission bypass vulnerability where local users can unlock shared memory segments belonging to other processes. By triggering IPC_UNLOCK on arbitrary shared memory, an attacker can cause sensitive process memory to be swapped to disk, where it may be readable by other users after the memory is released.

MitigationUpgrade the Linux kernel to version 2.6.10 or later, which contains the fix for proper permission checking in shmctl IPC_UNLOCK operations. As an interim measure, limit local shell access to trusted users only.

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:= 2.6.9

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
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

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. Check the running kernel version
    Run `uname -r` or `cat /proc/version` to determine the exact kernel version
    Affected if The version is exactly 2.6.9
  2. Verify shared memory segments exist
    Run `ipcs -m` to list any shared memory segments currently on the system
    Affected if Any shared memory segments are present on the system running kernel 2.6.9
  3. Confirm user access to shared memory operations
    Check if untrusted local users can execute IPC operations via `ipcs -m -p` to see creator info
    Affected if Multiple users have access to shared memory segments on an affected kernel

The environment is affected only if it is running exactly Linux kernel version 2.6.9 and has shared memory segments in use by processes

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 kernel to version 2.6.10 or later, which contains the fix for proper permission checking in shmctl IPC_UNLOCK operations. As an interim measure, limit local shell access to trusted users only.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
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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-2005-0176 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