QEMU: Improper Synchronization
CVE-2022-2962 is a high-severity improper synchronization vulnerability in QEMU, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected QEMU versions: Will be fixed in QEMU 7.2.0-rc0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.41% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of QEMU you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
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
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
Official description
A DMA reentrancy issue was found in the Tulip device emulation in QEMU. When Tulip reads or writes to the rx/tx descriptor or copies the rx/tx frame, it doesn't check whether the destination address is its own MMIO address. This can cause the device to trigger MMIO handlers multiple times, possibly leading to a stack or heap overflow. A malicious guest could use this flaw to crash the QEMU process on the host, resulting in a denial of service condition.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Synchronization
The product utilizes multiple threads, processes, components, or systems to allow temporary access to a shared resource that can only be exclusive to one process at a time, but it does not properly synchronize these actions, which might cause simultaneous accesses of this resource by multiple threads or processes.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use industry standard APIs to synchronize your code.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/commit/36a894aeb64a2e02871016da1c37d4a4ca109182Third Party Advisory
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/issues/1171Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
Other vulnerabilities in QEMU
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 10.0 Critical severity
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