CVE-2011-2498

Local memory exhaustion via PTE page creation

Published Feb 20, 2020 · Updated Aug 6, 2024

Denial-of-service in Linux Kernel versions 2.3.36 through 2.6.38 allows local users to exhaust memory via PTE page creation. The kernel OOM scoring path counts page-table entries while user activity can force creation of large numbers of PTE pages, allowing memory consumption to grow without adequate accounting. A local unprivileged user can trigger the condition without authentication beyond a normal local account, potentially exhausting memory and interrupting kernel service; confidentiality and integrity are not affected.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial-of-service in Linux Kernel versions 2.3.36 through 2.6.38 allows local users to exhaust memory via PTE page creation. The kernel OOM scoring path counts page-table entries while user activity can force creation of large numbers of PTE pages, allowing memory consumption to grow without adequate accounting. A local unprivileged user can trigger the condition without authentication beyond a normal local account, potentially exhausting memory and interrupting kernel service; confidentiality and integrity are not affected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2011-2498
Published
Feb 20, 2020
Updated
Aug 6, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 20, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 6, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=v2.3.36 before v2.6.39

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=v2.3.36 before v2.6.39

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.9NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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