CVE-2013-2851: Format string vulnerability in the register_disk function in block/genhd.c in the Linux kernel through 3.9....

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is an old Linux kernel flaw where a specially crafted disk device name could be interpreted unsafely by the kernel. The reported impact is local privilege gain. It matters mainly for legacy systems, appliances, or unpatched distributions still carrying affected kernels. Exposure is most plausible on unpatched Linux systems using kernel versions through 3.9.4 or older vendor kernels before their 2013 and 2014 security updates. The bundle does not provide complete affected package lists, so distribution advisories should drive scoping. Treat as a legacy hygiene and local privilege escalation risk. It should not outrank internet-facing critical issues, but unresolved exposure on shared Linux systems deserves timely remediation. Mitigation focus: Apply the relevant vendor kernel security update for each Linux distribution.; Prioritize unsupported or legacy Linux hosts, appliances, and golden images.; Confirm the updated kernel is actually running after maintenance or reboot..

Prepared

Jun 14, 2026, 22:07 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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