Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2022-50283 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 9e54ce00505d291ef88f2c05e5eef46269daf83c, 12b58961de0bd88b3c7dfa5d21f6d67f4678b780 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 0.17% 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 9e54ce00505d291ef88f2c05e5eef46269daf83c or 12b58961de0bd88b3c7dfa5d21f6d67f4678b780, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.0.7 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ad9b10d1eaada169bd764abcab58f08538877e26 up to, but not including, 9e54ce00505d291ef88f2c05e5eef46269daf83c; ad9b10d1eaada169bd764abcab58f08538877e26 up to, but not including, 12b58961de0bd88b3c7dfa5d21f6d67f4678b780; 6.0 | 9e54ce00505d291ef88f2c05e5eef46269daf83c, 12b58961de0bd88b3c7dfa5d21f6d67f4678b780 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.0 up to, but not including, 6.0.7; 6.1 | 6.0.7 |
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: mtd: core: add missing of_node_get() in dynamic partitions code This fixes unbalanced of_node_put(): [ 1.078910] 6 cmdlinepart partitions found on MTD device gpmi-nand [ 1.085116] Creating 6 MTD partitions on "gpmi-nand": [ 1.090181] 0x000000000000-0x000008000000 : "nandboot" [ 1.096952] 0x000008000000-0x000009000000 : "nandfit" [ 1.103547] 0x000009000000-0x00000b000000 : "nandkernel" [ 1.110317] 0x00000b000000-0x00000c000000 : "nanddtb" [ 1.115525] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 1.120141] refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free. [ 1.125328] WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 1 at lib/refcount.c:25 refcount_warn_saturate+0xdc/0x148 [ 1.133528] Modules linked in: [ 1.136589] CPU: 0 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 6.0.0-rc7-next-20220930-04543-g8cf3f7 [ 1.146342] Hardware name: Freescale i.MX8DXL DDR3L EVK (DT) [ 1.151999] pstate: 600000c5 (nZCv daIF -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) [ 1.158965] pc : refcount_warn_saturate+0xdc/0x148 [ 1.163760] lr : refcount_warn_saturate+0xdc/0x148 [ 1.168556] sp : ffff800009ddb080 [ 1.171866] x29: ffff800009ddb080 x28: ffff800009ddb35a x27: 0000000000000002 [ 1.179015] x26: ffff8000098b06ad x25: ffffffffffffffff x24: ffff0a00ffffff05 [ 1.186165] x23: ffff00001fdf6470 x22: ffff800009ddb367 x21: 0000000000000000 [ 1.193314] x20: ffff00001fdfebe8 x19: ffff00001fdfec50 x18: ffffffffffffffff [ 1.200464] x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000118 x15: 0000000000000004 [ 1.207614] x14: 0000000000000fff x13: ffff800009bca248 x12: 0000000000000003 [ 1.214764] x11: 00000000ffffefff x10: c0000000ffffefff x9 : 4762cb2ccb52de00 [ 1.221914] x8 : 4762cb2ccb52de00 x7 : 205d313431303231 x6 : 312e31202020205b [ 1.229063] x5 : ffff800009d55c1f x4 : 0000000000000001 x3 : 0000000000000000 [ 1.236213] x2 : 0000000000000000 x1 : ffff800009954be6 x0 : 000000000000002a [ 1.243365] Call trace: [ 1.245806] refcount_warn_saturate+0xdc/0x148 [ 1.250253] kobject_get+0x98/0x9c [ 1.253658] of_node_get+0x20/0x34 [ 1.257072] of_fwnode_get+0x3c/0x54 [ 1.260652] fwnode_get_nth_parent+0xd8/0xf4 [ 1.264926] fwnode_full_name_string+0x3c/0xb4 [ 1.269373] device_node_string+0x498/0x5b4 [ 1.273561] pointer+0x41c/0x5d0 [ 1.276793] vsnprintf+0x4d8/0x694 [ 1.280198] vprintk_store+0x164/0x528 [ 1.283951] vprintk_emit+0x98/0x164 [ 1.287530] vprintk_default+0x44/0x6c [ 1.291284] vprintk+0xf0/0x134 [ 1.294428] _printk+0x54/0x7c [ 1.297486] of_node_release+0xe8/0x128 [ 1.301326] kobject_put+0x98/0xfc [ 1.304732] of_node_put+0x1c/0x28 [ 1.308137] add_mtd_device+0x484/0x6d4 [ 1.311977] add_mtd_partitions+0xf0/0x1d0 [ 1.316078] parse_mtd_partitions+0x45c/0x518 [ 1.320439] mtd_device_parse_register+0xb0/0x274 [ 1.325147] gpmi_nand_probe+0x51c/0x650 [ 1.329074] platform_probe+0xa8/0xd0 [ 1.332740] really_probe+0x130/0x334 [ 1.336406] __driver_probe_device+0xb4/0xe0 [ 1.340681] driver_probe_device+0x3c/0x1f8 [ 1.344869] __driver_attach+0xdc/0x1a4 [ 1.348708] bus_for_each_dev+0x80/0xcc [ 1.352548] driver_attach+0x24/0x30 [ 1.356127] bus_add_driver+0x108/0x1f4 [ 1.359967] driver_register+0x78/0x114 [ 1.363807] __platform_driver_register+0x24/0x30 [ 1.368515] gpmi_nand_driver_init+0x1c/0x28 [ 1.372798] do_one_initcall+0xbc/0x238 [ 1.376638] do_initcall_level+0x94/0xb4 [ 1.380565] do_initcalls+0x54/0x94 [ 1.384058] do_basic_setup+0x1c/0x28 [ 1.387724] kernel_init_freeable+0x110/0x188 [ 1.392084] kernel_init+0x20/0x1a0 [ 1.395578] ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20 [ 1.399157] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- [ 1.403782] ------------[ cut here ]------------
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.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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