High severity · published Dec 20, 2017
CVE-2017-17805
The Salsa20 encryption algorithm in the Linux kernel before 4.14.8 does not correctly handle zero-length inputs, allowing a local attacker able to use the AF_ALG-based skcipher…
7.8
CVSS
0.4%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
The Salsa20 encryption algorithm in the Linux kernel before 4.14.8 does not correctly handle zero-length inputs, allowing a local attacker able to use the AF_ALG-based skcipher interface (CONFIG_CRYPTO_USER_API_SKCIPHER) to cause a denial of service (uninitialized-memory free and kernel crash) or have unspecified other impact by executing a crafted sequence of system calls that use the blkcipher_walk API. Both the generic implementation (crypto/salsa20_generic.c) and x86 implementation (arch/x86/crypto/salsa20_glue.c) of Salsa20 were vulnerable.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.4% · higher than 38% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
2.6.25 before 3.2.97; 3.3 before 3.16.52; 3.17 before 3.18.89; 3.19 before 4.1.49; 4.2 before 4.4.107; 4.5 before 4.9.71; +1 more · source: NVD
DL
Debian Linux · Debian
8.0; 9.0 · source: NVD
LE
Leap · Opensuse
42.2 · source: NVD
LE
Linux Enterprise Desktop · Suse
12; 12 · source: NVD
LE
Linux Enterprise Server · Suse
11; 11; 12; 12 · source: NVD
LE
Linux Enterprise Server For Raspberry PI · Suse
12 · source: NVD
UL
Ubuntu Linux · Canonical
12.04; 14.04; 16.04; 17.10 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-17805
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-17805
Patch
http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=ecaaab5649781c5a0effdaf298a925063020500e
Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2018-01/msg00006.html
Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2018-01/msg00007.html
Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2018-01/msg00008.html
Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2018-01/msg00014.html
Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2018-01/msg00016.html
More from Kernel
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
8.8
CVE-2013-6282
Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
8.4
CVE-2022-0185
Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
8.4
CVE-2013-2094
Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Vulnerability