CVE-2022-48701 – This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulner... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-48701?

CVE-2022-48701 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the Linux kernel's USB audio subsystem. When parsing interface descriptors from malicious USB audio devices, the kernel can read beyond allocated memory boundaries. This affects Linux systems with USB audio support enabled.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the Linux kernel's USB audio subsystem. When parsing interface descriptors from malicious USB audio devices, the kernel can read beyond allocated memory boundaries. This affects Linux systems with USB audio support enabled.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific affected versions not specified in CVE, but likely multiple stable kernel versions before the fix

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using vulnerable kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires USB audio subsystem support (CONFIG_SND_USB_AUDIO) which is commonly enabled

📦 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 →

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

Kernel panic leading to system crash, denial of service, or potential information disclosure from kernel memory

🟠

Likely Case

System crash or instability when connecting a malicious USB audio device

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if the vulnerable code path is not triggered by connecting malicious USB devices

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires physical or local USB device connection

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Malicious USB devices could be connected internally to vulnerable systems

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires physical access or ability to connect a malicious USB device; no authentication needed once device is connected

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits: 0492798bf8dfcc09c9337a1ba065da1d1ca68712, 2a308e415d247a23d4d64c964c02e782eede2936, 6123bec8480d23369e2ee0b2208611619f269faf, 8293e61bbf908b18ff9935238d4fc2ad359e3fe0, 91904870370fd986c29719846ed76d559de43251

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0492798bf8dfcc09c9337a1ba065da1d1ca68712

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to patched version from your distribution's repositories. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable USB audio support

linux

Remove or disable the vulnerable kernel module

sudo rmmod snd-usb-audio
echo 'blacklist snd-usb-audio' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-usb-audio.conf

Restrict USB device connections

linux

Use USBGuard or similar to control which USB devices can connect

sudo apt install usbguard
sudo systemctl enable --now usbguard

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized USB device connections
Disable USB ports via BIOS/UEFI or physically block unused USB ports

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and if snd-usb-audio module is loaded: lsmod | grep snd_usb_audio

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Check kernel version is patched and verify the module loads without issues

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel oops messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
System crashes when USB audio devices are connected

Network Indicators:

No network indicators - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for kernel panic or oops messages containing 'usb-audio' or 'snd_usb_audio'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-48701

CVSS v3 Score: 7.1 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-125

Published: May 3, 2024

Last Updated: March 5, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2022-48701, you might also want to check these: