CVE-2022-48698 – This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-48698?

CVE-2022-48698 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (MEDIUM). This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. When debugfs_lookup() is called without proper cleanup, memory is not released, potentially leading to resource exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes a memory leak vulnerability in the AMD display driver component of the Linux kernel. When debugfs_lookup() is called without proper cleanup, memory is not released, potentially leading to resource exhaustion over time. This affects Linux systems with AMD graphics hardware using the affected kernel versions.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with AMD display driver (drm/amd/display)

Versions: Specific kernel versions containing the vulnerable code (check git commits for exact ranges)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions with affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires AMD graphics hardware and debugfs enabled/mounted; debugfs is typically mounted at /sys/kernel/debug

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Sustained exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, crashes, or denial of service on affected systems.

🟠

Likely Case

Gradual memory consumption over time leading to performance degradation or system instability requiring reboots.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minimal impact with proper monitoring and regular system maintenance; memory leaks would be detected and addressed before causing significant issues.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is a local kernel vulnerability requiring local access or existing compromise to trigger.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - While requiring local access, it could be exploited by malicious insiders or as part of post-exploitation activities to degrade system stability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access to trigger debugfs operations; exploitation would need to repeatedly trigger the vulnerable code path to cause significant impact.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing the git commits referenced in the CVE description

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a6279d243cb035eaaff1450980b40cf19748f05

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update to a patched kernel version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot the system to load the new kernel. 3. Verify the fix by checking kernel version.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable debugfs

linux

Prevent access to debugfs which contains the vulnerable code path

umount /sys/kernel/debug
echo 'debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs defaults 0 0' >> /etc/fstab and comment out or remove

Restrict debugfs access

linux

Limit which users can access debugfs to reduce attack surface

chmod 700 /sys/kernel/debug
set appropriate ACLs or mount options

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict access controls to limit who can access debugfs functionality
Monitor system memory usage and implement alerts for abnormal memory consumption patterns

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if your kernel version contains the vulnerable code by examining kernel source or checking distribution security advisories

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is updated to a version containing the fix commits; check /proc/version or uname -r

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages
Out of memory errors in system logs
Increasing memory usage without clear cause

Network Indicators:

None - this is a local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("out of memory" OR "kernel panic" OR "BUG:")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-48698

CVSS v3 Score: 5.3 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

CWE: CWE-401

Published: May 3, 2024

Last Updated: April 8, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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