CVE-2011-2211: The osf_wait4 function in arch/alpha/kernel/osf_sys.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.39.4 on the Alpha plat...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2011-2211 is a Linux kernel local privilege escalation issue limited to the Alpha platform. A local user could abuse incorrect pointer handling in osf_wait4 to write into kernel memory and potentially gain elevated privileges. Exposure is likely narrow because it affects old Alpha Linux systems before kernel 2.6.39.4. Organizations are exposed only if they still operate Linux on Alpha hardware or compatible environments with kernels older than 2.6.39.4. The provided affected-product metadata is incomplete, so exposure should be verified by architecture and kernel version rather than product names. Treat this as high impact but usually low prevalence. It matters most in legacy environments where Alpha Linux systems still host sensitive workloads or allow local users. Confirm whether such systems exist before allocating major remediation effort. Mitigation focus: Upgrade affected Alpha Linux kernels to 2.6.39.4 or later.; Use a vendor kernel that includes the referenced upstream fix.; Check distribution advisories for backported fixes on legacy Alpha builds..

Prepared

Jun 24, 2026, 12:34 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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