CVE-2008-3704 is a vulnerability that affected several versions of the Linux kernel between 2.6.26 and 2.6.27. The vulnerability was caused by an integer overflow error in the kernel's networking code, which could be exploited by a local user to gain elevated privileges on the affected system. An attacker with access to a local account could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, potentially leading to a full compromise of the target system.
The vulnerability was first discovered in September 2008 and was assigned CVE-2008-3704. Shortly after its discovery, a number of security researchers began publishing information on how to exploit the flaw, which led to widespread concern about its potential impact. In response, many Linux distributions released updated kernels that addressed the vulnerability, including Debian, Red Hat, and Ubuntu.
Despite the availability of these patches, however, the vulnerability continued to be exploited in the wild by attackers targeting vulnerable systems. In some cases, attackers were able to use the vulnerability to gain complete control over compromised systems, highlighting the severity of the issue. As a result, the CVE-2008-3704 vulnerability remains an important case study for those interested in understanding the impact of software vulnerabilities and the importance of timely patching and mitigation efforts.