CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-0742NVD status: Modified

Kernel: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

CVE-2022-0742 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Kernel from Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Kernel versions: 5.13 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 5.04% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 7.58% of all scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.27 or 5.16.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on git.kernel.org for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxKernel5.13 and earlierNot stated
LinuxLinux Kernel5.13 up to, but not including, 5.15.27; 5.16 up to, but not including, 5.16.13; 5.175.15.27, 5.16.13
NetAppA400 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppAff 8300 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppAff 8700 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppFas 8300 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppFas 8700 FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH300e FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH300s FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH410c FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH410s FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH500e FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH500s FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH700e FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated
NetAppH700s FirmwareNot specified in the recordNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.19.1CriticalCNA (google.com)
CVSS 3.17.5HighNVD
CVSS 2.07.8HighNVD

Official description

Memory leak in icmp6 implementation in Linux Kernel 5.13+ allows a remote attacker to DoS a host by making it go out-of-memory via icmp6 packets of type 130 or 131. We recommend upgrading past commit 2d3916f3189172d5c69d33065c3c21119fe539fc.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
  • Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
  • Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.

More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in Kernel

All Kernel vulnerabilities

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