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
24admin-guide/reporting-bugs.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
29Disclosure
30----------
31
32The goal of the Linux kernel security team is to work with the bug
33submitter to understand and fix the bug.  We prefer to publish the fix as
34soon as possible, but try to avoid public discussion of the bug itself
35and leave that to others.
36
37Publishing the fix may be delayed when the bug or the fix is not yet
38fully understood, the solution is not well-tested or for vendor
39coordination.  However, we expect these delays to be short, measurable in
40days, not weeks or months.  A release date is negotiated by the security
41team working with the bug submitter as well as vendors.  However, the
42kernel security team holds the final say when setting a timeframe.  The
43timeframe varies from immediate (esp. if it's already publicly known bug)
44to a few weeks.  As a basic default policy, we expect report date to
45release date to be on the order of 7 days.
46
47Coordination
48------------
49
50Fixes for sensitive bugs, such as those that might lead to privilege
51escalations, may need to be coordinated with the private
52<linux-distros@vs.openwall.org> mailing list so that distribution vendors
53are well prepared to issue a fixed kernel upon public disclosure of the
54upstream fix. Distros will need some time to test the proposed patch and
55will generally request at least a few days of embargo, and vendor update
56publication prefers to happen Tuesday through Thursday. When appropriate,
57the security team can assist with this coordination, or the reporter can
58include linux-distros from the start. In this case, remember to prefix
59the email Subject line with "[vs]" as described in the linux-distros wiki:
60<http://oss-security.openwall.org/wiki/mailing-lists/distros#how-to-use-the-lists>
61
62CVE assignment
63--------------
64
65The security team does not normally assign CVEs, nor do we require them
66for reports or fixes, as this can needlessly complicate the process and
67may delay the bug handling. If a reporter wishes to have a CVE identifier
68assigned ahead of public disclosure, they will need to contact the private
69linux-distros list, described above. When such a CVE identifier is known
70before a patch is provided, it is desirable to mention it in the commit
71message, though.
72
73Non-disclosure agreements
74-------------------------
75
76The Linux kernel security team is not a formal body and therefore unable
77to enter any non-disclosure agreements.
78