# CVE-2010-3081: Privilege escalation in n/a > Local attackers can gain privileges via a stack pointer underflow in the Linux kernel's 32-bit compatibility layer, requiring a kernel patch. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 24 Sep 2010 - **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** GHSA-24vg-fhqp-9wrx, RHSA-2010:0704, RHSA-2010:0705, RHSA-2010:0711, RHSA-2010:0718, RHSA-2010:0719 ## What is CVE-2010-3081? CVE-2010-3081 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Sep 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description The compat_alloc_user_space functions in include/asm/compat.h files in the Linux kernel before 2.6.36-rc4-git2 on 64-bit platforms do not properly allocate the userspace memory required for the 32-bit compatibility layer, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the compat_mc_getsockopt function (aka the MCAST_MSFILTER getsockopt support) to control a certain length value, related to a "stack pointer underflow" issue, as exploited in the wild in September 2010. Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-3081? It affects 4 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.29.1.EL | Products: Linux kernel, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Vmware Esx. ## How do I fix CVE-2010-3081? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2010-3081 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2010-3081 exists. Public exploit code: - Linux Kernel 2.6.27 < 2.6.36 (RedHat x86-64) - 'compat' Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb) ## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel - [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2010-3081 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2010-3081 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Sep 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2010-3081 exists. Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page. Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3081/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3081/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-3081 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-3081 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-3081 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3081/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.