Kexec ToolsApplication · Redhat
CVE-2011-3590
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, includes all of root's SSH private keys within a vmcore file, which allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information by inspecting the file content.
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 packages before 1.102pre-154 (1.x) and 2.0.0-209 (2.x) includes root's SSH private keys within vmcore crash dump files. When kdump captures a kernel crash dump, the script bundles all of root's SSH keys into the dump image, allowing anyone with access to the vmcore file to extract and use these private keys for unauthorized SSH 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
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.
-
Identify kexec-tools versionRun 'rpm -q kexec-tools' or 'dpkg -l kexec-tools' to find the installed version numberAffected if The version is 1.102pre-126 or lower, or 2.0.0-188 or lower (check both 1.x and 2.x branches)
-
Confirm kdump crash dump is configuredCheck if the kdump service is enabled: 'systemctl is-enabled kdump' or 'service kdump status' on older systemsAffected if Kdump is enabled and configured to capture vmcore dumps (the vulnerability only applies when crash dumps are being generated)
-
Locate mkdumprd scriptFind the mkdumprd script path: 'which mkdumprd' or check /usr/sbin/mkdumprdAffected if The script exists on the system (its behavior determines whether SSH keys are included)
-
Check for SSH key inclusion in dump configurationReview /etc/kdump.conf (or /etc/init.d/kdump) for dump filtering settings that may control what gets included in vmcoreAffected if Dump configuration allows inclusion of /root/.ssh/ or similar paths containing private keys
You are affected if kexec-tools version is at or below 1.102pre-126 (1.x branch) or 2.0.0-188 (2.x branch) AND kdump crash dump capture is enabled on your system.
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 dataUpdate kexec-tools to version 1.102pre-154 or later (1.x) or 2.0.0-209 or later (2.x) to receive the patched mkdumprd script that excludes SSH private keys from crash dumps. Alternatively, manually ensure SSH private keys are excluded from the dump filter.
Fix this in Kexec Tools
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3590 — 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-2011-3590 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
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.
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.
- 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