A local privilege escalation kernel exploit has been reported that affects 64-bit versions of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel as shipped with the CentOS 5 variant of this kernel. This vulnerability was found to affect a significant number of customer servers, including our shared hosting and reseller hosting servers. CentOS has released a new kernel that includes a patch for this exploit. In order for the new kernel to be applied the server(s) must be rebooted.

We will start installing this patch on affected servers and rebooting those servers to the new kernel at 8pm EST today 09/21/2010. We expect downtime to be minimal for each reboot and will ensure services are restored after we have completed the reboot. There is currently not a way to patch a server that has already been exploited. If this patch is not applied and your server is exploited your server will need to be re-imaged and your content restored from backups. Though we strongly recommend against it, if you require that your virtual or hardware dedicated server’s reboot be delayed, please let us know as soon as possible by opening a ticket or giving us a call.

For details about the exploit:
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-40265

For details about the patch:
https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0704.html

Ashworth Consulting prides itself on its excellent service to its clients. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to get in touch and someone will be happy to assist you with any questions. Further, please note that this issue and resolution is due to 3rd party software beyond our control and is not directly associated with our uptime or reliability. We’re here for you and want you to know that we’ll do whatever we can to assist you.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to serving you.

Sincerely,
Ashworth Consulting