Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2022-48867 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 b9e8e3fcfec625fc1c2f68f684448aeeb882625b, 1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005 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 0.24% 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 b9e8e3fcfec625fc1c2f68f684448aeeb882625b or 1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.8 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 63c14ae6c161dec8ff3be49277edc75a769e054a up to, but not including, b9e8e3fcfec625fc1c2f68f684448aeeb882625b; 63c14ae6c161dec8ff3be49277edc75a769e054a up to, but not including, 1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005; 5.19 | b9e8e3fcfec625fc1c2f68f684448aeeb882625b, 1beeec45f9ac31eba52478379f70a5fa9c2ad005 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.19 up to, but not including, 6.1.8 | 6.1.8 |
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.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: idxd: Prevent use after free on completion memory On driver unload any pending descriptors are flushed at the time the interrupt is freed: idxd_dmaengine_drv_remove() -> drv_disable_wq() -> idxd_wq_free_irq() -> idxd_flush_pending_descs(). If there are any descriptors present that need to be flushed this flow triggers a "not present" page fault as below: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ff391c97c70c9040 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page The address that triggers the fault is the address of the descriptor that was freed moments earlier via: drv_disable_wq()->idxd_wq_free_resources() Fix the use after free by freeing the descriptors after any possible usage. This is done after idxd_wq_reset() to ensure that the memory remains accessible during possible completion writes by the device.
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
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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