Ubuntu 14.04内核漏洞修复咨询：AWS Inspector检测跨版本问题

Let's break down how to fix those kernel vulnerabilities on your Ubuntu 14.04 instance running kernel 3.13.0—including the high-risk CVE-2016-1583 flagged by AWS Inspector. First, a critical heads-up: Ubuntu 14.04 reached end-of-standard-support back in 2019, so regular public repositories don't serve security patches for it anymore. You’ve got two reliable paths to resolve this:

If your EC2 instance is enrolled in Ubuntu's ESM (many AWS Ubuntu instances are pre-configured for this, especially if you're using official AMIs), you can pull the patched 3.13 kernel directly:

• Verify ESM is enabled by checking if the patched kernel is available:
  sudo apt-cache policy linux-image-3.13.0-48-generic
  Look for entries from the esm-infra repository—if you see them, you're good to proceed.
• Refresh your package lists to fetch ESM updates:
  sudo apt update
• Install the specific patched kernel package recommended by AWS Inspector:
  sudo apt install linux-image-3.13.0-48-generic=3.13.0-48.80
• Reboot your instance to load the new kernel:
  sudo reboot
• After reboot, confirm you’re running the updated kernel:
  uname -r
  You should see 3.13.0-48-generic as the output.

Since 14.04 is no longer receiving standard updates, upgrading to a newer LTS release (like 20.04 or 22.04) is the more sustainable solution. Here's how to do an in-place upgrade:

• First, backup your instance: Create an AMI snapshot or take a full backup of your data—this is non-negotiable in case the upgrade hits snags.
• If you have ESM access, fully update your current system first:
  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
• Install the upgrade tool if it’s missing:
  sudo apt install update-manager-core
• Configure the release upgrader to target LTS versions:
  sudo nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
  Ensure the line Prompt=lts is set (it should be by default, but double-check).
• Start the upgrade process:
  sudo do-release-upgrade
• Follow the on-screen prompts carefully. The system will download packages, ask about replacing configuration files, and eventually require a reboot.
• Post-reboot, verify your new OS and kernel:
  lsb_release -a (confirms the Ubuntu version)
  uname -r (shows the new kernel version)

• Always backup first: Kernel changes and OS upgrades can break custom applications or configurations—having a rollback plan is essential.
• Test in staging: If you have critical services running, replicate the instance in a staging environment and test the fix there before applying it to production.
• Re-scan with AWS Inspector: After applying the fix, run another Inspector scan to confirm all flagged vulnerabilities are resolved.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Ehab Al khashman