CVE-2010-4655: net/core/ethtool.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36 does not initialize certain data structures, which all...

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is an old Linux kernel information-disclosure flaw. A local user with CAP_NET_ADMIN could use an ethtool ioctl path to read potentially sensitive data left in kernel heap memory. It is not described as remote code execution, and the bundle provides no evidence of active exploitation. Exposure is mainly legacy Linux systems running kernels before 2.6.36 or vendor kernels without the backported fix. Risk increases where CAP_NET_ADMIN is granted broadly, including privileged administrative accounts or containers with that capability. Treat this as a legacy exposure cleanup item, not an emergency remote compromise signal. Prioritize internet-facing or shared infrastructure only if local users or containers can obtain CAP_NET_ADMIN on unpatched kernels. Mitigation focus: Apply vendor kernel updates that include the ethtool heap-clearing fix.; Upgrade legacy kernels to a fixed release or supported vendor backport.; Restrict CAP_NET_ADMIN to accounts and workloads that strictly require it..

Prepared

Jun 27, 2026, 18:09 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.