1.. _securitybugs:
2
3Security bugs
4=============
5
6Linux kernel developers take security very seriously.  As such, we'd
7like to know when a security bug is found so that it can be fixed and
8disclosed as quickly as possible.  Please report security bugs to the
9Linux kernel security team.
10
11Contact
12-------
13
14The Linux kernel security team can be contacted by email at
15<security@kernel.org>.  This is a private list of security officers
16who will help verify the bug report and develop and release a fix.
17If you already have a fix, please include it with your report, as
18that can speed up the process considerably.  It is possible that the
19security team will bring in extra help from area maintainers to
20understand and fix the security vulnerability.
21
22As it is with any bug, the more information provided the easier it
23will be to diagnose and fix.  Please review the procedure outlined in
24'Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst' if you are unclear about what
25information is helpful.  Any exploit code is very helpful and will not
26be released without consent from the reporter unless it has already been
27made public.
28
29Please send plain text emails without attachments where possible.
30It is much harder to have a context-quoted discussion about a complex
31issue if all the details are hidden away in attachments.  Think of it like a
32:doc:`regular patch submission <../process/submitting-patches>`
33(even if you don't have a patch yet): describe the problem and impact, list
34reproduction steps, and follow it with a proposed fix, all in plain text.
35
36Disclosure and embargoed information
37------------------------------------
38
39The security list is not a disclosure channel.  For that, see Coordination
40below.
41
42Once a robust fix has been developed, the release process starts.  Fixes
43for publicly known bugs are released immediately.
44
45Although our preference is to release fixes for publicly undisclosed bugs
46as soon as they become available, this may be postponed at the request of
47the reporter or an affected party for up to 7 calendar days from the start
48of the release process, with an exceptional extension to 14 calendar days
49if it is agreed that the criticality of the bug requires more time.  The
50only valid reason for deferring the publication of a fix is to accommodate
51the logistics of QA and large scale rollouts which require release
52coordination.
53
54While embargoed information may be shared with trusted individuals in
55order to develop a fix, such information will not be published alongside
56the fix or on any other disclosure channel without the permission of the
57reporter.  This includes but is not limited to the original bug report
58and followup discussions (if any), exploits, CVE information or the
59identity of the reporter.
60
61In other words our only interest is in getting bugs fixed.  All other
62information submitted to the security list and any followup discussions
63of the report are treated confidentially even after the embargo has been
64lifted, in perpetuity.
65
66Coordination
67------------
68
69Fixes for sensitive bugs, such as those that might lead to privilege
70escalations, may need to be coordinated with the private
71<linux-distros@vs.openwall.org> mailing list so that distribution vendors
72are well prepared to issue a fixed kernel upon public disclosure of the
73upstream fix. Distros will need some time to test the proposed patch and
74will generally request at least a few days of embargo, and vendor update
75publication prefers to happen Tuesday through Thursday. When appropriate,
76the security team can assist with this coordination, or the reporter can
77include linux-distros from the start. In this case, remember to prefix
78the email Subject line with "[vs]" as described in the linux-distros wiki:
79<http://oss-security.openwall.org/wiki/mailing-lists/distros#how-to-use-the-lists>
80
81CVE assignment
82--------------
83
84The security team does not normally assign CVEs, nor do we require them
85for reports or fixes, as this can needlessly complicate the process and
86may delay the bug handling. If a reporter wishes to have a CVE identifier
87assigned ahead of public disclosure, they will need to contact the private
88linux-distros list, described above. When such a CVE identifier is known
89before a patch is provided, it is desirable to mention it in the commit
90message if the reporter agrees.
91
92Non-disclosure agreements
93-------------------------
94
95The Linux kernel security team is not a formal body and therefore unable
96to enter any non-disclosure agreements.
97