CVE-2012-6539: The dev_ifconf function in net/socket.c in the Linux kernel before 3.6 does not initialize a certain struct...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2012-6539 is a Linux kernel information leak. A local user could run a crafted application that causes the kernel to return data from uninitialized stack memory. This is not described as remote code execution, but leaked kernel data can reduce defense-in-depth and may support further attacks. Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems running kernels before 3.6 or vendor kernels that did not backport the fix. The source bundle does not provide a complete affected distribution or package matrix. Handle through normal kernel security maintenance unless the environment has untrusted local users, shared hosting, or container tenants. In those cases, prioritize sooner because kernel memory disclosure can weaken isolation and support chained attacks. Mitigation focus: Update affected Linux kernels using vendor-supported packages or a kernel containing the upstream fix.; For Ubuntu systems, review USN-1792-1 and USN-1798-1 for applicable fixed packages.; Prioritize shared servers, multi-user systems, and container hosts where local users are less trusted..

Prepared

Jun 24, 2026, 11:46 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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