Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2022-48796 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, 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. The record lists versions cb86e511e78e796de6947b8f3acca1b7c76fb2ff, 65ab30f6a6952fa9ee13009862736cf8d110e6e5, f74fc4b5bd533ea3d30ce47cccb8ef8d21fda85a as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.26% 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
- Update Linux to cb86e511e78e796de6947b8f3acca1b7c76fb2ff or 65ab30f6a6952fa9ee13009862736cf8d110e6e5 or f74fc4b5bd533ea3d30ce47cccb8ef8d21fda85a or b54240ad494300ff0994c4539a531727874381f4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.10.101 or 5.15.24 or 5.16.10, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 0c830e6b32826311fc2b9ea1f4679be0f4ef0933 up to, but not including, cb86e511e78e796de6947b8f3acca1b7c76fb2ff; 0c830e6b32826311fc2b9ea1f4679be0f4ef0933 up to, but not including, 65ab30f6a6952fa9ee13009862736cf8d110e6e5; 0c830e6b32826311fc2b9ea1f4679be0f4ef0933 up to, but not including, f74fc4b5bd533ea3d30ce47cccb8ef8d21fda85a; 0c830e6b32826311fc2b9ea1f4679be0f4ef0933 up to, but not including, b54240ad494300ff0994c4539a531727874381f4; 5.3 | cb86e511e78e796de6947b8f3acca1b7c76fb2ff, 65ab30f6a6952fa9ee13009862736cf8d110e6e5, f74fc4b5bd533ea3d30ce47cccb8ef8d21fda85a, b54240ad494300ff0994c4539a531727874381f4 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.7 up to, but not including, 5.10.101; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.24; 5.16 up to, but not including, 5.16.10; 5.17 | 5.10.101, 5.15.24, 5.16.10 |
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 | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu: Fix potential use-after-free during probe Kasan has reported the following use after free on dev->iommu. when a device probe fails and it is in process of freeing dev->iommu in dev_iommu_free function, a deferred_probe_work_func runs in parallel and tries to access dev->iommu->fwspec in of_iommu_configure path thus causing use after free. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in of_iommu_configure+0xb4/0x4a4 Read of size 8 at addr ffffff87a2f1acb8 by task kworker/u16:2/153 Workqueue: events_unbound deferred_probe_work_func Call trace: dump_backtrace+0x0/0x33c show_stack+0x18/0x24 dump_stack_lvl+0x16c/0x1e0 print_address_description+0x84/0x39c __kasan_report+0x184/0x308 kasan_report+0x50/0x78 __asan_load8+0xc0/0xc4 of_iommu_configure+0xb4/0x4a4 of_dma_configure_id+0x2fc/0x4d4 platform_dma_configure+0x40/0x5c really_probe+0x1b4/0xb74 driver_probe_device+0x11c/0x228 __device_attach_driver+0x14c/0x304 bus_for_each_drv+0x124/0x1b0 __device_attach+0x25c/0x334 device_initial_probe+0x24/0x34 bus_probe_device+0x78/0x134 deferred_probe_work_func+0x130/0x1a8 process_one_work+0x4c8/0x970 worker_thread+0x5c8/0xaec kthread+0x1f8/0x220 ret_from_fork+0x10/0x18 Allocated by task 1: ____kasan_kmalloc+0xd4/0x114 __kasan_kmalloc+0x10/0x1c kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0xe4/0x3d4 __iommu_probe_device+0x90/0x394 probe_iommu_group+0x70/0x9c bus_for_each_dev+0x11c/0x19c bus_iommu_probe+0xb8/0x7d4 bus_set_iommu+0xcc/0x13c arm_smmu_bus_init+0x44/0x130 [arm_smmu] arm_smmu_device_probe+0xb88/0xc54 [arm_smmu] platform_drv_probe+0xe4/0x13c really_probe+0x2c8/0xb74 driver_probe_device+0x11c/0x228 device_driver_attach+0xf0/0x16c __driver_attach+0x80/0x320 bus_for_each_dev+0x11c/0x19c driver_attach+0x38/0x48 bus_add_driver+0x1dc/0x3a4 driver_register+0x18c/0x244 __platform_driver_register+0x88/0x9c init_module+0x64/0xff4 [arm_smmu] do_one_initcall+0x17c/0x2f0 do_init_module+0xe8/0x378 load_module+0x3f80/0x4a40 __se_sys_finit_module+0x1a0/0x1e4 __arm64_sys_finit_module+0x44/0x58 el0_svc_common+0x100/0x264 do_el0_svc+0x38/0xa4 el0_svc+0x20/0x30 el0_sync_handler+0x68/0xac el0_sync+0x160/0x180 Freed by task 1: kasan_set_track+0x4c/0x84 kasan_set_free_info+0x28/0x4c ____kasan_slab_free+0x120/0x15c __kasan_slab_free+0x18/0x28 slab_free_freelist_hook+0x204/0x2fc kfree+0xfc/0x3a4 __iommu_probe_device+0x284/0x394 probe_iommu_group+0x70/0x9c bus_for_each_dev+0x11c/0x19c bus_iommu_probe+0xb8/0x7d4 bus_set_iommu+0xcc/0x13c arm_smmu_bus_init+0x44/0x130 [arm_smmu] arm_smmu_device_probe+0xb88/0xc54 [arm_smmu] platform_drv_probe+0xe4/0x13c really_probe+0x2c8/0xb74 driver_probe_device+0x11c/0x228 device_driver_attach+0xf0/0x16c __driver_attach+0x80/0x320 bus_for_each_dev+0x11c/0x19c driver_attach+0x38/0x48 bus_add_driver+0x1dc/0x3a4 driver_register+0x18c/0x244 __platform_driver_register+0x88/0x9c init_module+0x64/0xff4 [arm_smmu] do_one_initcall+0x17c/0x2f0 do_init_module+0xe8/0x378 load_module+0x3f80/0x4a40 __se_sys_finit_module+0x1a0/0x1e4 __arm64_sys_finit_module+0x44/0x58 el0_svc_common+0x100/0x264 do_el0_svc+0x38/0xa4 el0_svc+0x20/0x30 el0_sync_handler+0x68/0xac el0_sync+0x160/0x180 Fix this by setting dev->iommu to NULL first and then freeing dev_iommu structure in dev_iommu_free function.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
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