CVE-2004-1234
Description
A local attacker can crash the Linux kernel before 2.4.26 by executing a crafted ELF binary with a NULL interpreter pointer.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
A local attacker can crash the Linux kernel before 2.4.26 by executing a crafted ELF binary with a NULL interpreter pointer.
Vulnerability
The load_elf_binary function in the Linux kernel's binary loader, present in versions before 2.4.26, fails to validate whether the interpreter pointer (interp) is NULL when processing an ELF binary. This oversight allows a local user to trigger a NULL pointer dereference and cause a denial of service by supplying a specially crafted ELF file with a NULL interpreter field [1][2].
Exploitation
An attacker needs only local user access to the system. By executing a malicious ELF binary where the interpreter field is set to NULL, the kernel follows the NULL pointer during the loading process, leading to a crash. No special privileges are required beyond being able to run a binary [3][4].
Impact
Successful exploitation results in a system crash, i.e., a denial of service. The impact is limited to availability; there is no evidence of privilege escalation or data compromise from this vulnerability [1][2].
Mitigation
The vulnerability is fixed in Linux kernel version 2.4.26 and later. Red Hat released errata RHSA-2005-017 and RHSA-2005-016 to address the issue in their distributions [3][4]. Users should upgrade to a patched kernel version.
AI Insight generated on May 24, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
63cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 61 more
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: <=2.4.0
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test10:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test11:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test12:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test8:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.0:test9:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:pre8:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.18:*:x86:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.19:pre6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.21:pre1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.21:pre4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.21:pre7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.22:pre10:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.23_ow2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.23:pre9:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.24_ow1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.26:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.3:pre3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- Range: <2.4.26
Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.
References
17- www.securityfocus.com/bid/12101nvdPatch
- bugzilla.fedora.us/show_bug.cginvdPatch
- bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cginvdExploit
- linux.bkbits.net:8080/linux-2.4/cset%404076466d_SqUm4azg4_v3FIG2-X6XQnvd
- secunia.com/advisories/20162nvd
- secunia.com/advisories/20163nvd
- secunia.com/advisories/20202nvd
- secunia.com/advisories/20338nvd
- www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1067nvd
- www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1069nvd
- www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1070nvd
- www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1082nvd
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2004-689.htmlnvd
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-016.htmlnvd
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-017.htmlnvd
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/18687nvd
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10608nvd
News mentions
0No linked articles in our index yet.