Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2022-48981 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 585a07b820059462e0c93b76c7de2cd946b26b40, 6a4da05acd062ae7774b6b19cef2b7d922902d36, 83e3da8bb92fcfa7a1d232cf55f9e6c49bb84942 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 0.25% 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 585a07b820059462e0c93b76c7de2cd946b26b40 or 6a4da05acd062ae7774b6b19cef2b7d922902d36 or 83e3da8bb92fcfa7a1d232cf55f9e6c49bb84942 or 586847b98e20ab02212ca5c1fc46680384e68a28, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.4.227 or 5.10.159 or 5.15.83 or 6.0.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2194a63a818db71065ebe09c8104f5f021ca4e7b up to, but not including, 585a07b820059462e0c93b76c7de2cd946b26b40; 2194a63a818db71065ebe09c8104f5f021ca4e7b up to, but not including, 6a4da05acd062ae7774b6b19cef2b7d922902d36; 2194a63a818db71065ebe09c8104f5f021ca4e7b up to, but not including, 83e3da8bb92fcfa7a1d232cf55f9e6c49bb84942; 2194a63a818db71065ebe09c8104f5f021ca4e7b up to, but not including, 586847b98e20ab02212ca5c1fc46680384e68a28; 2194a63a818db71065ebe09c8104f5f021ca4e7b up to, but not including, 24013314be6ee4ee456114a671e9fa3461323de8; 5.2 | 585a07b820059462e0c93b76c7de2cd946b26b40, 6a4da05acd062ae7774b6b19cef2b7d922902d36, 83e3da8bb92fcfa7a1d232cf55f9e6c49bb84942, 586847b98e20ab02212ca5c1fc46680384e68a28, 24013314be6ee4ee456114a671e9fa3461323de8 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.2 up to, but not including, 5.4.227; 5.5 up to, but not including, 5.10.159; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.83; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.0.13; 6.1 | 5.4.227, 5.10.159, 5.15.83, 6.0.13 |
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: drm/shmem-helper: Remove errant put in error path drm_gem_shmem_mmap() doesn't own this reference, resulting in the GEM object getting prematurely freed leading to a later use-after-free.
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
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/24013314be6ee4ee456114a671e9fa3461323de8
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/585a07b820059462e0c93b76c7de2cd946b26b40
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/586847b98e20ab02212ca5c1fc46680384e68a28
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a4da05acd062ae7774b6b19cef2b7d922902d36
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/83e3da8bb92fcfa7a1d232cf55f9e6c49bb84942
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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