In “System Information”, LinPEAS reports the kernel version, loaded modules and protections (AppArmor/SELinux, etc.), and checks the kernel against a bundled exploit registry (linux-exploit-suggester is embedded). Version-based matches are leads, not proof — backported patches often make them false positives.
Where it appears#
Kernel checks are in the System Information section (system_information). With -V or -a, LinPEAS can also send a package/kernel inventory to an online service for vulnerability lookup (an outbound request — see is LinPEAS safe?).
╔══════════╣ Operative system
Linux 5.4.0-42-generic x86_64
╔══════════╣ Kernel Exploit Registry
Possible CVE-XXXX-YYYY (verify patch level)Enterprise distributions backport fixes without bumping the version string, so a version-based kernel-exploit flag can be a false positive. Confirm the actual patch level (e.g. distro changelog) before trusting it.
Verify it yourself#
uname -a
cat /proc/version
lsmod | headSources & references
- linPEAS README
- PEASS-ng release — reviewed 20260908-dffb9496
- HackTricks: Linux privilege escalation