# CVE-2011-2183: Race condition in n/a

> Local attackers can cause a denial of service via a race condition in the Linux kernel when Kernel SamePage Merging is enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.0 (`AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C`)
- **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:** 13 Jun 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cx72-f838-ppm8

## What is CVE-2011-2183?

CVE-2011-2183 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 13 Jun 2012. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Race condition in the scan_get_next_rmap_item function in mm/ksm.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.39.3, when Kernel SamePage Merging (KSM) is enabled, allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted application.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-2183?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-2183?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-2183 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2011-2183 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Linux Kernel 2.6.x - KSM Local Denial of Service (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-2011-2183 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-2183 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 13 Jun 2012. 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-2011-2183 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-2011-2183/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2183/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-2183
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-2183
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-2183

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2183/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.