A patch sent to LKML points out that depending on hugepage configuration an uprivileged user could cause a crash. However this is because various functionality in the arch/*/mm/hugetlbpage.c was merged. So for upstream kernels it only affected >2.6.12 (and therefore not released versions). http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=linux-kernel&m=112323336017157 http://linux.bkbits.net:8080/linux-2.6/cset%4042f3bc80L_XvX5Aw3DqXdSmmzosXWA However this looks from inspection only that this may affect the linux-2.6.9-x86_64-hugetlb.patch added in U1, RHSA-2005:520 (bugzilla #143472). Therefore x86_64 may be vulnerable to this problem. A patch will need to be crafted from the bk reference above, but it looks fairly straightforward. I've not seen a reproducer.
I dont think this pertains to RHEL4, the code being patched isnt even in the 2.6.9 kernel. Larry Woodman
This looks from inspection only that it affect the linux-2.6.9-x86_64-hugetlb.patch added in U1, RHSA-2005:520 (bugzilla #143472).
I just sent the proposed RHEL4-U5 patch to rhkernel_list.
committed in stream U5 build 42.6. A test kernel with this patch is available from http://people.redhat.com/~jbaron/rhel4/
committed in stream E5 build 42.0.3
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux maintenance release. Product Management has requested further review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential inclusion in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux Update release for currently deployed products. This request is not yet committed for inclusion in an Update release.
QE ack for 4.5.
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2006-0689.html