CVE-2012-6704: Linux Kernel

High severity, CVSS 7.8. EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

The sock_setsockopt function in net/core/sock.c in the Linux kernel before 3.5 mishandles negative values of sk_sndbuf and sk_rcvbuf, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and system crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability for a crafted setsockopt system call with the (1) SO_SNDBUF or (2) SO_RCVBUF option.

Affected products

• Linux Linux Kernel: before 3.2.85 (fixed in 3.2.85); from 3.3, before 3.5 (fixed in 3.5)

Published 2016-12-28. Last modified 2026-06-16.