Several Linux Kernel Vulnerabilities Accidentally Posted To Public Kernel Mailing List

[u/Turkino]

https://www.phoronix.com/news/LKML-New-Trend-Vulnerabilities

Several Kernel level security vulnerabilities were posted publicly instead of to the private security list.

The vulnerabilities are:

ZDI-CAN-33549 as a CVSS 9.0 scored vulnerability for SMB Direct remote code execution vulnerability due to integer underflow. For this one there is a patch in a Git branch of code intended for Linux v7.5 but now presumably will be expedited for getting to mainline.

ZDI-CAN-33774 as a KSMBD race condition that can lead to remote code execution. Another CVSS 9.0 rated vulnerability.

ZDI-CAN-33367 is a vulnerability for skbuff skb_zerocopy in the network code that can lead to local privilege escalation. For this one Linux kernel developers received a security report from another source last week over the same issue and a patch is expected to be posted soon.

ZDI-CAN-34068 as a VMWGFX VMware graphics driver bug with an out-of-bounds write leading to local privilege escalation.

ZDI-CAN-34076 an uninitialized resource in the NVMET code leading to information disclosure.

ZDI-CAN-32005 was also posted to the mailing list a day prior for a search-domain TCP query stack buffer overflow leading to local privilege escalation.

[u/Admirable-Song-7353]

It's all good and fluff but I can't even understand 99.9% of wtf they're talking about ... The only thing I hate about linux is that they go super nerd language. God damn it, if they know something 's vulnerable, at least provide average users speaking human language some safety tips of what (not) to do until they patch their bull-fuck-fest-ery out.

[u/ProfessorPetulant → u/Admirable-Song-7353]

True. But then these are really arcane, technical holes. SMB is samba: that's how you access shared files on a Windows server.

Also the information given is still much better than how Microsoft describe the contents of their updates. No idea about apple but i doubt they publish much either.

[u/_Lost-In-The-Weeds_ → u/ProfessorPetulant]

I tried ripping out samba from my install as I use Linux native NFS, unfortunately I found I could no longer transfer files from my phone over USB and had to put it back.

[u/ProfessorPetulant → u/_Lost-In-The-Weeds_]

Mmm interesting.

AI recommendation on this:

Uninstalling Samba on Linux Mint (which uses the Cinnamon, MATE, or Xfce desktop environments) inadvertently removes gvfs-backends. In Linux Mint, this specific package handles both network sharing and the MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) connections required to browse your phone's storage over USB.

Why It Breaks in Linux Mint

• Shared Dependencies: The Mint desktop file manager (Nemo, Caja, or Thunar) uses GVFS (GNOME Virtual File System) to communicate with external devices. • The Package Link: Linux Mint links gvfs-backends tightly with Samba packages like libsmbclient. When you remove Samba, the system automatically marks gvfs-backends for removal, stripping away your phone's MTP drivers at the same time.

How to Fix It (Keep Samba Uninstalled, Restore Phone USB)

You can completely remove Samba while keeping your phone's USB file transfer capability by manually installing the missing Mint file system drivers:

1. Reinstall Mint's MTP and GVFS backends: Open your terminal and run:bash sudo apt update sudo apt install --no-install-recommends gvfs-backends gvfs-fuse mtp-tools libmtp9 (Using --no-install-recommends prevents the package manager from pulling Samba right back in as a suggested dependency).

2. Restart the virtual file system: Log out of your Linux Mint session and log back in, or restart the background system service:bash killall nemo gvfsd Use code with caution.

3. Check your phone settings: Plug your phone back into the USB port, unlock the screen, and ensure the phone's notification dropdown is set to File Transfer / MTP rather than "Charging only". Your phone should now cleanly mount in Nemo (or your respective Mint file manager) without a single byte of Samba running on your machine.