# CVE-2013-3301: Null dereference in n/a

> Local attackers with CAP_SYS_ADMIN can crash the system via a NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel ftrace implementation.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 29 Apr 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2013-3301, GHSA-c2pp-ff3q-qvxc

## What is CVE-2013-3301?

CVE-2013-3301 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Apr 2013. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The ftrace implementation in the Linux kernel before 3.8.8 allows local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging the CAP_SYS_ADMIN capability for write access to the (1) set_ftrace_pid or (2) set_graph_function file, and then making an lseek system call.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-3301?

It affects 6 products.


Products: Linux kernel, Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Enterprise Mrg, Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension, Suse Linux Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-3301?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2013-3301 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2013-3301 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Linux Kernel 3.2.1 - Tracing Multiple Local Denial of Service Vulnerabilities (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-2013-3301 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-3301 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 29 Apr 2013. 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-2013-3301 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-2013-3301/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3301/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-3301
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-3301
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-3301

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3301/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.