Kexec ToolsApplication · Redhat
CVE-2011-3589
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 · uneditedThe Red Hat mkdumprd script for kexec-tools, as distributed in the kexec-tools 1.x before 1.102pre-154 and 2.x before 2.0.0-209 packages in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, uses world-readable permissions for vmcore files, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by inspecting the file content, as demonstrated by a search for a root SSH key.
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 confidenceThe mkdumprd script in kexec-tools creates vmcore dump files with world-readable (0644) permissions, allowing any local user to read sensitive information potentially contained in the crash dump, such as root SSH keys, passwords, or other credentials exposed in memory.
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
Kexec ToolsApplication
<= 1.102pre-126<= 2.0.0-188CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:A/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed kexec-tools versionRun 'rpm -q kexec-tools' or 'kexec-tool --version' to get the version number, then compare against affected ranges: <= 1.102pre-126 or <= 2.0.0-188Affected if Version is at or below 1.102pre-126, or at or below 2.0.0-188
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Verify mkdumprd script existsLocate the mkdumprd script on the system (typically in /usr/sbin/ or /usr/libexec/) using 'which mkdumprd' or 'find /usr -name mkdumprd'Affected if mkdumprd script is present on the system
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Identify existing vmcore filesSearch for vmcore files in common dump directories such as /var/crash, /var/tmp, or the configured kdump dump location using 'find /var -name vmcore*' or 'ls -la /var/crash/'Affected if vmcore files exist and are readable by any user (permissions show r--r--r-- or similar world-readable settings)
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Inspect mkdumprd for permission settingsExamine the mkdumprd script for umask or chmod calls that set file permissions, looking for patterns like 'umask 022' or 'chmod 644' that would create world-readable filesAffected if The script contains umask/chmod settings that result in world-readable (0644) vmcore files
User is affected if kexec-tools version falls within the affected range AND mkdumprd is used to create vmcore dumps that end up with world-readable permissions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataConfigure mkdumprd to create vmcore files with restrictive permissions (e.g., 0600) owned by root, or implement access control mechanisms to limit vmcore file access to authorized administrators only.
Fix this in Kexec Tools
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3589 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-3589 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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